


Dark Nature

by Marta_TP



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Gore, Eventual Smut, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2018-10-26 17:24:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 65,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10791240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta_TP/pseuds/Marta_TP
Summary: Twenty years ago the World changed and while some struggle to adjust to the new reality other muscle their way against the new world order. In the shadows a new war arises and the results are as dangerous as they are uncertain, unaware of this two major pieces are about to form a fierce but precarious alliance with unpredictable consequences





	1. First

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this story for a while and after much consideration, I decided this was a good time to start posting.  
> This needs a little introduction, so bear with me. This is a vampire AU, which, okay... totally weird for me to write. I don't usually go for the literally alternative universe, but as I was reading the ones that are out there (which.. really super amazing, if you like the theme be sure to check out Bite Me by HaughtBreaker, Pure Radiance by mveloc and Anathema by assassinslover - all available in AO3) I noticed that I could give a little twist to the story. Also, this borrows the premise from the latest Underworld movies, but just to the point that humans are aware of the real world that surrounds them and also the aspect of the vampires.  
> The science in this is, obviously, completely fiction and yes, I made it up to my convenience, but I also tried to be consistent with it.  
> So far, I have 6 chapters in this story, which would be about a third of it (hopefully) and while I have those I'll be updating it every Monday, because, Mondays suck (ahahha... see what I did there) and I think this might made it a bit better.
> 
> Thanks to Cophine for beta!

She makes her way up the seven steps, to large, glass doors, that open with a quiet swish as she approaches. She walks directly to the front desk where a hulking man with prominent sideburns eyes her with a suspicious glance.

"Yes?" He asks in a rough tone.

"I'm here for my monthly consultation," she answers, echoing his rudeness.

The dour man grumbles something unpleasant under his breath that she ignores, and gets up with a huff, adjusting the belt under his generous gut. The procedure is not new to either of them, in fact, for her, it has become monotonous, having been here every month for the last three years. She approaches the chip reader, pulls up the sleeve of her right arm and slides her arm into the scanner so it can read the chip implanted under her skin, just below the bend of her arm. The reader emits a small sound and the rim around her arm illuminates in a bright green light. As she pushes the sleeve back down her arm, the man returns to his seat and presses few icons on the screen in front of him.

"Very well," he says in a bored voice, "324B21, someone will be with you in a while."

The small woman moves to one of the many chairs against the wall of the large room as a few people watch her with an intense gaze, some staring directly at her while others offer only brief glances. Cosima pays them no mind; it's always like this. At first she thought it would be a good opportunity to meet others like her, but if the short answers she received when she tried to strike up a conversation weren't dissuasive enough, a particular distasteful encounter in the parking lot after she left one day surely did the trick.

When she'd decided to take this path, it never occurred to her it could feel so lonely. She'd believed that at least half of her family would join her, but she found herself alone in her decision. She couldn't blame them really; the head of the family was against it, so it's not exactly surprising that no one followed her.

By government numbers, at least half of their population have joined the program and are presently on the database, but Cosima knows they are way off; no more than twenty percent are registered. It's true that there aren't many of them and their numbers have been thinning in the last two centuries. Turning someone is not an easy undertaking, and requires a great deal of control. Additionally, the elders who possess the knowledge consider it a privilege; not everyone is worthy of the transformation or the _gift_ , as they like to call it. Even so, they are not as few as the civilian institutions were led to believe. Over the centuries, vampires became experts at misinformation. There are plenty of reasons why only two decades ago they were considered things of fairytale, creatures to scare little children and for angst teenage girls to dream about.

The discovery of not one, but two other species had caused generalized hysteria among mankind, and it didn't take long for voices to rise and call for the purge of vampires and lycans alike. The first two years had been chaotic, and those voices would've gained purchase if it weren't for the fact that there were other voices, equally loud, that called for a common ground. The three species have been sharing the world since the beginning of time, there's no need for that to be any different now that their existence was public.

It took time; human minds were filled with stories of monsters, but eventually they started to listen. The evil creatures that inhabited their nightmares couldn't be further from the truth. Once turned, vampires and lycans maintain most of their human characteristics; their personalities not overrun by a demon, as popularized by movies and cautionary tales. As long as they properly feed. If they are evil in this new form, it's because they were evil while living, perhaps just bolder in their cruelty. It wasn't until the mid 1800's that Cosima realized blood was an addiction for her kind, much like opium was to the humans she found in smoky houses in East London. Unfortunately, it was a drug without which she would perish in a slow and agonizing death.

They had called it a virus twenty years ago when they were first discovered. Her body needs a regular dose of blood plasma to keep functioning; and to take it from a living person gives her not only the nourishment she needs but comes laden with all the 'drugs' the human brain produces in a state of fear, or intense arousal, and somehow carries with it a different kind of strength that even today scientists struggle to understand. Cosima herself tried to study her own biology, being very curious by nature and having witnessed the birth of modern science, she became fascinated with it. However, she lacked the knowledge required to comprehend the more evolved aspects of her own biology, so she quit. Her many years taught her that there was no point in continuing the futile endeavor, even if she didn't particularly like it. Besides, there was news of a group of respected scientists who had started to work on a possible cure for the _vampirism virus_.

Contrary to lycans, whose response was to simply stop the metamorphosis into the big, bad wolf with a high concentrated dose of silver nitrate, the vampire presented a much bigger challenge. Vampires have no allergies that they could not supplant, except the deadly sun rays and that's not exactly a cure - at least not in Cosima's view, however some might disagree with her.

After many years of research, even though they were no closer to finding the much desired cure, there had been a breakthrough. A way to mutate, change the genetic coding, was found. The vampire community was skeptic to say the least, but it was a chance nonetheless. A new treatment was discovered and while it proved to be inefficient in removing the virus from the body, it did manage to control it, freeze it within the host. In a nutshell, the cells essential for anti-aging and regeneration became dormant with the treatment, but not effective enough to prevent the self-healing nature of the species. Now, while this might sound like a lousy deal there was a very positive side effect: sunlight. After only three rounds of treatment, the sun no longer represented a threat.

Vampires who received the treatment would become just like any other human on the surface. They'd age, yes, but they were able to walk in daylight and thus could be fully integrated in society. The singular difference lay in their strength, but even that was limited. Unless they feed from human, their strength would diminish greatly, depending on their age. The younger vampires lost their superhuman strength almost completely, having fed for such a short period of time, while the oldest, like Cosima, remain stronger than a regular human. Of course, once one started the treatment it was encouraged to cease the human feedings under the justification that it could be dangerous for the subject and that it could interfere with the effectiveness.

Despite all the downsides, Cosima was among the first to sign up, and as far as she knows, she's also the oldest vampire registered. She figured she had seen enough, and the day she took the first shot marked the beginning of a new life, a real life that had been taken from her centuries ago. The instant she could walk in the sun, she booked herself a full month on the beach, experiencing for the first time, the weird pleasure of baking under the strong summer rays. These days she was proud to sport a naturally tanned complexion; something she'd not concerned herself with in her first, sun-filled life. In that era, people were more concerned with other aspects of their lives; the notion of spending days taking sun baths being ludicrous at best. But the last few decades it was something she had come to envy and for that very reason, it was the first thing she decided to do.

Cosima knows that eventually she has to do something with her life, but for now she is enjoying _il_ _dulce far niente_. Having collected a small fortune in her long life, money was not an issue. What she really needs is a purpose, not necessarily a salary. She had thought about enrolling in a university and exploring something in the field of biology, but she had a small problem with that plan. Like any other recovering addict, the blood lust still burns. She can survive without it thanks to the injections, but that doesn't mean she no longer craves it. Just the smell of blood is enough for her to feel the beast crawling under her skin, trying to push its way out, and that doesn't make for a very helpful lab partner.

"Cosima," a cheerful voice calls for her and she raises her head, looking at the smiling young woman standing close to her, "we're ready for you."

"Thanks, Krystal." Cosima smiles and gets up, following the perky blonde. "How are things?"

"Oh... you know, same as usual," the other woman responds, guiding her through halls that by now have become familiar, "nothing much changes."

Cosima shakes her head, constantly surprised by how people don't realize that they are living in an era when changes happen at an incredible pace. She makes no comments though, by rule she keeps her thoughts to herself.

"Actually something has changed." Krystal stops suddenly at the door of the office where for the last three years the brunette has had her consultations. "You've been assigned a new doctor."

"Oh...?" Cosima quietly replies.

"Yep, Dr. Santos was..." the blonde hesitates briefly, "relieved from his duties."

 _Fired_ , Cosima thinks. "I see..." she says, quickly dismissing it. She doesn't really care, the middle age man she has been seeing never really warmed up to her, so for her it's all the same; as long as she gets her injections it's irrelevant who she has to talk to.

Krystal knocks on the door to announce their arrival and opens it without waiting for any sort of permission, a clear distinction from before. They enter but find the office vacant, confused, Cosima raises a brow at Krystal, who's moving around and immediately started to prepare both shots.

"Dr. Cormier must've gone to the bathroom or something," she says casually, moving with ease around the office when before she wouldn't have dared to enter with the man out, let alone touch his things. "You can sit."

Cosima takes the usual chair in front of the desk and leans back comfortably. "So, this Dr. Cormier must be very different from Santos," she observes with a small smile.

"Oh... well... yes, I suppose she is," Krystal agrees after a small pause.

The injections are ready and the tourniquet is tightly around Cosima's left arm when the door opens and she can hear the sound of high heels hitting the floor before the door is quietly closed.

"I'm sorry Krystal, nature called," a relaxed, clear voice says, the light accent not lost on Cosima, who has become familiar with the francophone language several centuries ago, when she spent a decade or two in Paris during its golden years. She hadn't returned tough; the revolution carried by ambitious men made life for her very difficult. A suspicious climate doesn't help when one needs to conceal an identity, and after all was said and done, she was comfortably established in London.

"It's okay, doctor," Krystal answers while brushing a ball of cotton along the vampire's arm. "We started without you, if that's alright," she announces, not really worried about being scorned for it.

"Yes, you did well," the other woman praises, before she sits down. "Very well, Ms... hmm... Niehaus..." she starts.

Cosima's attention moves from the needle approaching her arm and meets the new arrival. It's the long, pale neck that first catches her attention, beautifully displayed due to a band that tied the blonde, curly hair. The thumping of the heartbeat slightly faster than one would expect, but hardly enough to be mistaken for jittery nerves. The pounding is steady though, and strong; almost too loud for Cosima's ears, the movement of the skin covering the tempting artery far too noticeable for her to be able to ignore it. Dr. Cormier was ill-advised to not hide this particular aspect of her anatomy, especially considering the nature of the patients she'll be seeing in the future. Clenching her jaw, Cosima forces her eyes to move away from her neck and decides to focus on the lips instead, which unfortunately doesn't ease the growling rising in her chest. Lightly pink and lasciviously shaped, the doctor's lips seem to be calling her name, even with no movement, the beautiful, little freckle just under the bottom lip makes the creature swallow the snarl trapped her throat.

But it's not until she meets the bright, golden eyes, with just a hint of green that her entire body tenses, her right hand clasping the arm of the chair in order to ground herself and prevent her from leaping over the desk that separates them. Despite being able to remain steady, Cosima knows that the beast inside her is surfacing, and her deep brown eyes are most likely taking on a weird shade of blue, which will become as cold as a glacier if she doesn't contain herself. However, unlike previous contacts with those who have involuntarily put themselves in the position the doctor is now, the blonde doesn't seem to be at all intimidated by the subtle shift, and returns the stare; not with the same intensity, but with a strange expression, which for lack of a better word, Cosima chooses to describe as curiosity, even though she knows that's not quite right.

The doctor is not blind to the change of energy in the small office. The easy smile she had starts to fade slowly, her stare disengages from her patient's, sensing the tension growing inside the creature. When she'd read the file for 324B21, she was pleased to see this was one of the first vampires to receive the treatment and that no incident had been registered since treatment had started. In fact, the file they had on Cosima Niehaus shows that she has never been prone to violent behavior, nor an instigator; only a few attacks can be linked to her with certainty. Contrary to most of her patients, Cosima doesn't have a trail of dead bodies behind her, the few of Cosima's victims who were interviewed had affirmed they were willing participants in the feeding process. By all intents, 324B21 is the perfect subject for the treatment.

Dr. Cormier's own assistant, Krystal had assured her that Cosima was the most passive patient they had, despite - or perhaps, because of - being the eldest. Krystal had mentioned how she liked, and even eagerly awaited the creature's monthly visit. The vampire always engages in light conversation, unlike some of her peers, she demonstrates all the social human traits and it's her assistant's belief that this one will have no problem, whatsoever, in getting integrated. The doctor suspects Krystal is a bit infatuated by the subject and took all her words with generous pinch of salt, but that doesn't mean she disregarded entirely the perky blonde's statements.

In an attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere, Delphine shifts her gaze to the touchscreen in front of her and pulls Cosima's file - not that she really needs it; she's intimately familiar with it.

"According to your file, you've recently started to wear glasses," the doctor says in a calm voice, but keeping her eyes on the screen. "We're concerned that might be a side-effect of the treatment, since you're not the first patient who's had to procure them."

The small brunette allows herself to chuckle, without the doctor's inspective stare, Cosima is able to control some of her natural impulses. "I wouldn't worry about it," she says. "Before my transformation I was blind as a bat. We just didn't have so many optometrists at our disposal back in the day."

Despite her reasoning that, for the moment, it was better to avoid direct eye contact, Delphine can't keep her curious gaze away and briefly looks back at her patient. "That's very interesting," she comments in a tone that suggests she's thinking out loud. "So you think that it was your... transformation that gave you perfect 20/20 vision?"

Raising her brow, Cosima struggles to maintain the eye contact innocent. She had sensed the immediate change in the doctor moments before and even if the blonde was able to endure the avid stare longer than most, eventually nature won over. Not that Cosima could blame her, the biological relationship between the two species is well established: prey and predator. Dr. Cormier's reaction is the natural response of the survival instinct telling her to run like hell.

"I'll say," Cosima nods, "in fact, our sight is far better than yours... or would be, if it wasn't for the treatment."

"Can you elaborate?" The doctor's interest spikes at that.

Delphine has always suspected that there is still a lot about these creatures they don't understand. After all, it's hard to resist the temptation to keep some secrets to themselves and since the science is still so young, they mostly rely on what the subjects decide to share. Vampires set the rules of this agreement, as much as humans hate to admit it.

"Hmm... It's hard to explain..." Cosima chooses to indulge the doctor's obvious curiosity. "Especially since I can't say for sure if the difference is due to my innate bad sight or the... humanity returning," she tries to explain, her free hand starting to wave erratically in front of her. "But I assume I had much better night vision before, not that I could see in complete darkness, but more like a cat, you know... my eyes used to adjust rather quickly to the dark... hmm..." She pauses on her rambling thinking of ways to explain herself better, while at the same time Cosima's keenly aware of the golden eyes trained on her, moving along her features. "I think I could see further as well... like... I could focus my eyes on a distant point and they would like, zoom in, yeah? And pick up details out if it."

A small smile reappears on Delphine's lips, the muscles in her body loosening again hearing the vampire talk in such a... human manner, words running over each other as Cosima tries to make some sense of what she experienced and putting it into words. "That's definitely not a human thing, I can tell you as much."

"Yeah... I didn't think it was," Cosima smiles back, pleased to notice that the doctor is starting to relax. Not only will that make for a better doctor/patient relationship, but also because she doesn't like when people are too aware of what's really going on; it unnerves her when she knows that the person she's talking to is trying to read between the lines. She prefers to deal with people when they have their guard down and so far, Cosima's instincts are telling her that this Dr. Cormier is a lot more than she's letting on.

"You ready?"

At the sound of Krystal's voice she turns her head to the woman. Completely captured by the doctor, Cosima had actually forgotten about the unpleasant task which brought her here. She nods and takes a deep breath, hissing slightly when the needle punctures her skin. The first of the two injections is always the worst; she can feel the liquid entering her bloodstream, gradually freezing her inside and traveling all the way to her heart, only to be pumped by the strong muscle throughout her entire body. She hates it. Even if the effects are much stronger in the first two or three minutes, it takes several hours for her to feel her body return to normal, leaving her too weak for her liking, almost like walking in quicksand.

"Have you been... hmm... feeding?" Delphine's soft voice distracts her from the unpleasant coolness.

"What do you mean?" Cosima asks, aware of the hesitation in the doctor's question. "I get the plasma from these annoying shots, but other than that, I assume my diet doesn't differ much from yours."

Even before she started the treatment, Cosima has always been able to eat what's considered normal food. As with humans, her body is capable to transform what she eats into calories and nutrients that provide her with energy. The blood was necessary for her survival, but that doesn't mean she ever stopped eating like any other person.

"I just wanted to be sure," Delphine says in a pacifying tone, trying to sound as little judgmental as she could. "I can understand if you still take blood from other sources, but it's important for me to know, otherwise..."

"It would skew the results," Cosima finishes for her with a hint of annoyance. "I know that, but I'm telling you the truth!"

"Okay..." The woman nods and checks the box that has 'no' in front of the question she was hesitant to pose, on the touchscreen in front of her. "In the past you have complained about dizziness and headaches for several days after the treatment," she reads loud, "do you still have those symptoms?" Delphine asks with her eyes again steady on the screen.

"Sometimes," the brunette answers after another hiss caused by the second shot. "Not as often, though."

"That's great news," the short blonde next to her says cheerfully, gently passing the cotton ball over the puncture wounds on the crook of her left elbow.

 _Yeah, it's fucking fantastic!_ Cosima thinks to herself, but refrains from letting her annoyance be further known. She always gets too grumpy after the meetings, her body seemingly angry at her for the change she's provoking with the treatment, the beast inside gnawing at her in protest and leaving her exhausted. Eager to get home and to the relaxing marijuana waiting for her, Cosima starts to get up and pulls down the shirt's sleeve.

"If that's all," she mumbles, walking to the door, intentionally indicating that she has no tolerance left.

Understanding her cue, Krystal moves quickly to the door as well, opening it swiftly and stepping outside. The vampire looks back once, a small tug in her heart when she notices that the bright hazel eyes are completely concentrated on whatever is on that damn screen, the pink lower lip being nagged by white teeth. But even at a somewhat safe distance, she can see the woman's pulse rapid staccato, a cadence that easily reaches her ears, which are still adjusting to the changes.

"A word of advice, doctor," Cosima stops by the door, but only her head is turned back, "next time... cover that neck of yours. We don't need an accident to happen, do we?"

After that, the creature moves quickly out the door, her quick retreat preventing her from seeing Delphine's hand move instantly to the side of her neck. Her pulse rhythm increases drastically, pounding against the palm of her hand and a sudden tremor shakes her entire body.


	2. Second

Krystal is slyly glancing at her, probably surprised by Cosima's solemn mood, but she's mindful enough to keep her thoughts to herself. The perky blonde enjoys the vampire's company, even if she knows that the brunette is usually a little less joyful when she leads her back to the lobby, but that has never stopped Cosima from making funny remarks, often at the expense of Dr. Santos. So, it does make some sense, after all the man is no longer available to be the punchline of Cosima's jokes. Nonetheless, the dark disposition of the little vampire remains uncharacteristic in Krystal's eyes. Even the atmosphere that surrounded the entire meeting was different; Cosima never gave her one of her charming side snickers when the doctor wasn't looking. Today, the other woman has hardly acknowledged her, her attention solely on the new doctor. Perhaps that was it; Cosima was merely curious about the unexpected change, so it shouldn't be that important that it was the new element to their meetings that distracted her.

"So... See you next month, yes?" Krystal says in her usual cheerful tone.

"Sure," Cosima answers with a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, a clear indication that she's not really paying attention to what's going on, her mind elsewhere. "See ya!" She waves her hand and quickly walks to the main door, which automatically opens and she steps outside.

Krystal observes her for a few heartbeats, sighing deeply before she turns around. On her way back to the office, the blonde tries to return to her usual joyful state of mind; it's something she's very proud of, the way she always manages to put on a smile, even if her mind is wrapped in darker thoughts.

She's probably over thinking things. For someone like Cosima, changes can be difficult, she reasons. The endearing woman has suffered so many changes lately, and a new doctor is yet another. Dr. Santos was all business and made a big effort to cultivate a purely professional environment in his workplace, while Dr. Cormier has been proven to be the exact opposite. Krystal appreciates that the female doctor treats her like an equal and is capable to do so without the patronizing tone that often is given.

However, just because the assistant welcomes the change, it doesn't mean that the patients do as well, and that includes Cosima. In the two weeks since Delphine had joined the facility, she has witnessed all kinds of reactions from the patients: some were pleased with the new, more friendly approach (the new doctor's good looks certainly a major contribution), while others had expressed their annoyance, seeing it as a way to belittle them and treat them in a disrespectful manner. Most of the vampires had enjoyed the apathy with which Dr. Santos had treated them, they liked that some imagined line was not crossed. In the five years that Krystal had been working with them, she noticed that most vampires still thought of themselves not only as a different species, but as a step further in evolution, an improvement. Part of her fear was that the French woman, with her gentler manners, will find herself in trouble; that they would view the new doctor as weak, vulnerable to their attacks. And when these creatures decides to attack, the result can be devastating.

Despite the high rate of success, there have been some incidents registered. A few patients had given up on the treatment, gone off the grid by removing the chip implanted under their skin and decided to attack some of the people who had tried to help them. Once the treatment is suspended it doesn't take long before they return to their previous form. The virus is resilient and the scientists are unsure of how long it takes to be fully restored, since those who stopped the inoculation are unsurprisingly unavailable for testing. Krystal doesn't believe Cosima could become any sort of menace, but she also knows that the creatures can be unpredictable and Cosima is still one of them. Not only that, Cosima is probably the most powerful of their patients, and that makes her the most dangerous, regardless of how harmless she may appear.

The small blonde enters the office and finds her new boss with a thoughtful expression, staring at the screen in front of her, one of her hands curled around her neck while the other absently plays with a pen, rolling it back and forth along the smooth surface of the desk.

"Everything alright?" Krystal asks in a low voice so not to startle the other woman.

Delphine blinks a few times and looks at her assistant. "Yes, of course," she answers, bringing a smile to her lips. "So, who's next?"

Krystal eyes her suspiciously, but reaches for the small device she carries with herself all the time and looks at the day planner. "A Mr. Herrera, 150... so, a child, really."

The doctor laughs quietly and nods. "You can go get him, I'll start setting things up," she stands and goes to the cupboard where they keep the drugs necessary for a day's work.

"You sure?" Krystal can feel the slight uneasiness on the otherwise calm doctor.

"Bien sûr," she reaches for the two vials and makes sure the cabinet's automatic lock clicks once she closes it. "I'm not above preparing the shots."

"I wasn't talking about that," the other woman comments softly and when Delphine raises her brows in confusion, she explains further. "You seem a bit...preoccupied."

"Cosima... she..." the doctor stops, nibbling her lower lip, but she shakes her head dismissively. "Never mind," she says more firmly.

"What about her?" Krystal pushes, trying to read Delphine's expression, searching for any signs of weakness. It's true that the French woman is her direct boss, but ultimately, the assistant answers to other people, people who've told her that she ought to inform them if she senses any sort of situation she deems worth mention.

Krystal likes Dr. Cormier much more than the man she was working for before, but she also knows the first weeks are crucial in determining if Delphine is cut out for the job. She knows that the doctor has arrived here fresh from her PhD studies. After years spent in labs and writing reports and thesis, this is the first time the tall blonde is in contact with real life. She might've been a brilliant student, but that hardly means she's prepared for the real world. The first month is instrumental to judge the new doctor's resolve since that's the time it takes for her to meet with every patient in her list. If she can't deal with someone like Cosima, who's one of the most cooperative of the bunch, then Krystal doesn't predict good things for the other woman.

"She is very... straightforward," Delphine finally answers after taking some time to select her words carefully.

"Well... yeah," Krystal agrees with a smile. "She's been very helpful to us in understanding her kind. If you have any doubts about it you can just ask her, but don't expect her to sugarcoat it for you." The little blonde's eyes go back to the small device in her hands, certain that while Delphine is not yet fully comfortable with her assigned role, she isn't cracking under the pressure neither. "Brutally honest at times, but she's one of the good ones."

"Oh... I don't doubt that." Delphine nods, setting on the metallic tray the injections she was preparing. "I was just surprised by her... honesty," she admits, allowing a small smile to cross her features when she knows the other woman can't see it.

Krystal chuckles. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Besides, you only have to see her once a month," she throws over her shoulder before getting outside and close the door.

Delphine returns to her chair and waits for Krystal to bring the next patient, even if her mind refuses to leave the last one. It wasn't just the blunt honesty that made her slightly uncomfortable, but she knows better than to fully express what's going on in her mind. She trusts her assistant, but she's not naive. She's aware that there are things best kept to herself, especially during her first month. Delphine knows that if she wants to keep her new, well paying job, she needs to keep her emotions in check.

In fact, that's not only necessary to maintain her job, but also because it's essential for her own self-preservation. As passive as this creature might appear, no one knows better than Delphine the danger they represent and this is something she reminds herself of every day. While she knows she exudes the attitude of someone who doesn't really know what she has gotten herself into, nothing could be further from the truth. For years she's worked with a single purpose in mind, and now that she's so close to achieving it, she isn't about to throw it away just because one of her patients threw her a curveball.

Cosima's the most human of the creatures she has met so far, and what really caught her off-guard was the realization that it came from the oldest of the vampires in the program. When she got the patients' files she was excited to notice Cosima's name on the list, but she really didn't know what to expect from her. Older vampires are set in their ways, very seldom craving the life they were denied long ago, a life, that in reality they no longer know how to live. Cosima is the exception to the rule, though, if one considers the way the creature has lived - going out of her way to be sure that no one got hurt - it shouldn't come as a surprise the brunette's interest in the treatment.

In a way, Cosima is both the least and, at the same time time, the most dangerous patient on Delphine's list. Being the oldest also means that she should be the one who's more controlled; several centuries of existence prove that the little brunette is careful about the opponents she chooses and is wise enough to have remained under the radar for so long. However, it also means that Cosima has the kind of information that was never revealed to the younger ones. Information that Delphine needs. Information that's not exactly available in a silly government database.

Thus, the doctor faces a dilemma: how to gain this creature's trust and persuade her to reveal what she knows, but, in the process, not become too close as to put herself in danger and, most importantly, not to fail in her mission.

The knock on the door startles her. After arriving home, Cosima took a shower, dressed herself in a loose t-shirt and shorts and lights up. She's currently drifting in and out of conscience stretched on her bed, the comfortable kind of lightness that these days she can only achieve through burning a herb and pulling it into her lungs. In the past, she was capable of reaching a lighter state of mind after feeding from a volunteer, who usually stuck around for a few more hours, when it was possible to go for seconds. Some were more resistant than others, but her predisposition for the fairer sex meant that it was a fairly rare occasion. Nonetheless, most humans couldn't keep up with her stamina and she never really developed the sort of affection that would give her the patience to allow them to stick around past her needs - both feeding and sexual. Weed, as they called it, was a good replacement, but not nearly as strong.

With a groan, she got out of bed when the person at her door continued to knock non-stop. She immediately knows who it is.

"Alison... do come in," she mumbles after opening the door, but not bothering to play nice with the other woman.

"Really, Cosima?" Alison scolds, following her inside and watching Cosima's body drop unceremoniously onto the bed, face buried in the pillows.

"What?" Cosima asks, voice muffled.

Alison huffs and even if Cosima isn't looking at her she still knows that the other woman is rolling her eyes at her. "How did you like the new doctor?"

"You knew?" Cosima rises her head from the pillows and looks straight at her, swiftly turning around to sit on the bed with her legs crossed.

"Of course I did," Alison answers casually, starting to move around the bedroom and picking up a few books that Cosima has left abandoned on the floor by the bed. "I had my appointment last week, remember?"

"A heads up would've been nice."

The other woman stops her task to look at Cosima and just gives a small shrug. "I thought it would be much more fun this way. I don't get to catch you by surprise very often."

"You have a very sick idea of fun," she comments, getting up, twisting her dreads on top of her head and walking to the kitchen for a glass of water.

She leans on the frame of the door that connects the kitchen to her living room, where Alison has moved onto, picking up a few more books and placing them on the shelf and emptying the ashtrays. To this day, Cosima's not sure why she decided to make friends with the stiff woman; they couldn't be more different. Perhaps it was because when they met the older vampire was going through a difficult period, one year into the treatment and she was feeling too lonely in a world where she didn't fit in and had despised the world she'd lived in for centuries - or, at least, that's how they saw her, as a traitor.

Alison was alone in a bar, knocking down glass after glass of white chardonnay, already too drunk to be careful to hide the mark on her neck which reveals her nature, as one should when around strangers. It goes without saying that she attracted unwanted attention: three men had followed the drunken vampire when she stumbled outside, Cosima had lurked in the shadows, hoping that she didn't had to intervene in Alison's defense, but she was not so lucky. Alison was too young and the treatment had full effect on her, even if she had been sober, she was as helpless as any other woman.

Born in the late 1930's, Alison would've been the perfect 50's wife. The transformation she suffered was a violent stab to her intentions, unable to adjust to the quick changes the last half of century revealed, Cosima was not even sure how the young vampire had survived for so long without help. Unlike Cosima, Alison never really understood or accepted her new nature, refusing to acknowledge the dynamic of the times. Where Cosima had enjoyed and eagerly experienced the newness of every era she lived in, the younger creature fought against it every way she could. It had taken a lot of effort just to have Alison drop her old clothes.

The last two years since she'd met, and reluctantly adopted Alison had been a painful reminder of why the older vampire never had the desire to turn a single soul. Not because she saw it as a gift, like the rest of the elders, but because she obviously lacked the patience necessary to initiate someone into her species. One doesn't simply learn how to adjust to the passing of time; it's something that requires guidance. Although there's something Cosima did admit: Alison was probably turned in the worst decade. After the 50's, everything changed too rapidly. Add that to the fact that Alison's sire was irresponsible enough to left her to fend for herself... She never had a chance.

Thus, after centuries since she forgotten her own mother's face, Cosima found herself under the grip of the closest thing she remembers to a mother figure. That Alison is younger by over two centuries is irrelevant; the housewife within her is impossible to resist and Cosima has long given up trying to fight against it as well. She has decided to just embrace it, allowing the way too tense woman to find purpose in Cosima's chaotic home. Alison seems happy with the arrangement and, in truth, it never really hurts to have some order in her place.

"You never answered my question," Alison points out, moving past Cosima and into the kitchen, looking for something else to do. "What's your opinion of Dr. Cormier?"

It's Cosima's turn to shrug. "She seems rather careless," she offers, sitting on a chair by the table, watching the other woman put away the dishes she left out to dry. "One would think she'd be more nervous about dealing with... people like us," Cosima says, avoiding the V word, knowing Alison hates it. "Especially since she's just starting. She's too young to have had any extensive contact with our species in that sort of environment."

"Krystal mentioned Dr. Cormier is fresh out of grad school," Alison comments, leaning back against the counter and looking at Cosima after she finishes her task. "It wouldn't surprise me if she had never even met one of us before."

"I think there's something more to Dr. Cormier than meets the eye," Cosima's thoughtful, pushing the glasses up her nose, her gaze locked on something she's not quite seeing.

Alison twitches her nose, in a gesture that shows mild distaste. "But what does meet the eye is very pleasant."

"Meal on heels," the older vampire murmurs to herself, but when she meets Alison's shocked expression, she starts to laugh lightly and waves her hands. "Relax! You know I'm on a... vegetarian diet. Besides, like I said: I do think the good doctor is hiding something."

"And what might that be?" Alison raises her brow, her face changing from shock to curiosity.

"That, I don't know," Cosima says, getting up and moving to stretch her legs on the couch. "But if I were you, I'd be careful with what I share with her."

"Your years have made you paranoid, Cosima," Alison says, picking up her keys she left on the coffee table.

"Only the paranoid survive, Alison," Cosima mocks, groaning quietly with the satisfying pull of her muscles when she stretches.

The other woman throws her a look over the shoulder, but doesn't stop on her way the door. "I'm going to let you get some rest."

"Thanks mom!" The older woman adds jokingly, removing her glasses and closing her eyes.

After no more than two minutes, Cosima hears the door of the apartment directly above hers open and closing, indicating the other woman's arrival at her own place. Alison being her neighbor is far from ideal, but it's the only way she found to ensure the younger woman is safe most of the time. Soon, her body claims the rest she needs and the house slides into a quiet slumber.

Delphine still feels warm from the shower she took immediately after she got home, the crimson towel around herself is enough to keep her warm for now. The pre-cooked meal which she really doesn't feel like eating is in the microwave while she scrolls through Cosima's file on her tablet. The meeting with the creature has left her unsettled; something in the keenly observing brown stare has raised red flags in her mind. Although she's not sure of the origin of it, Delphine has been through enough to know when to trust her instincts. The doctor didn't get where she is today by being reckless and she knows that there is a lot about Cosima that isn't on the file. Unfortunately the man who previously occupied her position never really cared to know more than what was absolutely necessary about his patients, and that makes her work that much harder. The files reveal no personal information, only the data they've collected during the three years.

At first she was convinced that, once she got the job, she'd have access to more extensive files on the subjects; this couldn't possibly be all they knew. However, now she knows that either the clinic has not bothered to dig further on their patients or they are not sharing all the information they've gathered.

Reaching for the cell phone she always leaves at home, she opens the contact screen and presses the only number on it, her eyes not leaving the smiling picture attached to Cosima's file.

"Ferdinand, I believe we have a problem."


	3. Third

Delphine was 18 when she left the small, isolated town she'd called home since the age of 7, when the event that would define her life forced her to leave Paris and move in with her grandparents on the outskirts of the big city. Saint-Pathus is but less than an hour away from Paris, but a world apart. Going back to her hometown was out of the question, she needed to be as far away as possible and that was exactly what lead her to move to New York as soon as she came of age. The Big Apple, with its millions of inhabitants provided the best hideout she could think of; just another immigrant looking for a better life.

There was an internal strength that kept Delphine moving forward, even in the darkest hours when she doubted everything and everyone around her, a voice which kept her on the path, giving her purpose; her personal crusade constantly pushing her forward. With that kind of determination it wasn't too hard for her to stand out among the other students, the same way that it didn't take long before she attracted the attention of the big sharks.

Delphine was first approached by a big company when she was 20 and already with the first grade under her belt, she refused them and their astronomical paychecks, the same way that she did all the others that followed. Finally, at 23, she was contacted by Ferdinand and even if at first she played hard to get, after a little back and forth, she accepted. Delphine was careful not to sound too eager and give away her real intention. She made the negotiations difficult, but never gave a conclusive 'no' as she had done before.

Under the guidance of what is known only as "The Company", Delphine continued her studies until they saw fit to have her infiltrate the DYAD Institute.

Her instructions were as clear as they were simple: find out everything they know - on and off the record - and report back. The doctor was comfortable with these directions, simply because they presented no conflict with her own personal intentions, in fact, quite the opposite. It was always her intention to acquire that kind of information, the only difference is that she intends to take it a step further; not interested in corporate espionage. But in order to achieve that, Delphine has the conscience that she needs to appeal to her patience. She has waited for this many years, what difference will a few more months make?

Another month has passed without changes though, not that the French was expecting it. It takes time to gain the trust of individuals who are naturally suspicious. She was aware that the first month, while it wouldn't provide any breakthroughs, was fundamental to prove her worth in the new position and the way to make it happen was to fly under the radar. Thus, she maintained her apparent clueless front, constantly aware of Krystal's interested gaze upon her. Delphine likes the young woman, she has a kind heart and it's a competent assistant, but Krystal's ultimate allegiance lies with her real bosses. The girl seems harmless enough but the doctor knows better than to relax around anyone.

The little free time her job leaves is spent at home, in front of her computer and cataloguing all the information she's able to gather without raising suspicions. While it's true that she sends all the official data she collects to The Company, her personal notes remain for her eyes only. They aren't particularly elegant; it basically consists of her private observations: cleaning crew schedules, security rounds, but, most importantly, who in the staff has access to more restricted areas. Her own access is very limited. When she arrives in the morning everything she needs is already set up, the cabinet where the injections she'll need for the day is already filled with the right amount of vials. Other than her office, Delphine has access to the staff's bathroom and a small cafeteria that's reserved for workers.

In an attempt to get more information, one day she intentionally dropped the last vial for the day, but Krystal promptly offered to pursue another, leaving the office too quickly for Delphine to react and in less than five minutes returned with a new one. So that was a bust...

Even more disheartening was the fact she has yet to meet any high ranking scientists from the Institute. When she was hired she'd only met with someone from HR, who explained, with a too pleasant smile and a too cheerful voice, what her job would consist of. It didn't surprise Delphine, of course, her job was rather monotonous after all; administering injections and completing a standardized inquiry doesn't necessarily require much skill. However, she thought that after a few weeks she'd, at the very least, meet with one of the scientists. But no. The only contact she has with them is if she passes by them in the hallway or sees them in the cafeteria when she can take extra time for lunch. Other than that, it's like they're a completely different breed, distinguished by their sky-blue lab coats with a red access card pinned to the breast pocket which contrast with her white one and the yellow ID card.

When she informed Ferdinand of this situation, he immediately tried to assure her that he was working to improve her situation within DYAD and that soon enough she'll have extended access. Furthermore, he added as a side note, someone with Delphine's resumé would always arouse the interest of someone higher in the Institute's hierarchy. All she needed to do was to continue to do her job and be patient.

And there it was that word again. Patient. Something Delphine had long ago learned how to embrace. Years she has waited, she can spare a few more months.

***

Cosima wakes up with the sun in her eyes. For a brief moment she panics, an instinct that has become natural after centuries of fearing its rays. Once she fully wakes, she chuckles to herself and pushes more into the warmth coming from the window. The pleasant feeling doesn't last long, though; the red mark on the calendar she keeps pinned on the wall right in front of the bed grabs her attention like a dark cloud over her head. Spending so long without concern for which day it was - or month or year - had made her hate any activity marked for a specific day, even more so when said activity is utterly unpleasant.

She drags herself out of the bed and into the shower. Cosima takes her time under the hard sprays of water and in preparing something that Alison had left her to eat. Before she leaves, Cosima double checks to see if she has any weed left; she does but it's in dire need of restocking.

When she finally decides to leave is late in the afternoon, the spring breeze is picking up and the sun will set in less than an hour. The vampire speeds up the pace, even if there's no scheduled time for her to present herself, she figures that coming after-hours could send the wrong message. She goes through the motions of making the check-in, the same security guard gives her the same ugly look, this time perhaps a little heavier as the result of the late hour. At least she's not left waiting for long and soon Krystal is stopping in front of her.

"We were starting to think you wouldn't come," she says in her usual happy voice.

Cosima stands up and starts to follow the perky blonde. "Got a little distracted," she explains. "Time is a difficult concept to grasp. I don't even own a watch."

Krystal laughs. "So, that's why you're always so late" she jokes while opening the door to the office, "I thought you were just always running late as a principle."

"Yes... that too," Cosima nods and smiles, her eyes still focused on the small woman. "It's my way of protesting."

"I thought this was a voluntarily treatment."

The clear voice leads the vampire's attention to the woman sitting behind the big desk. As before, she feels a growl rising into her chest, the primitive animal inside trying to crawl its way out and she has to tamp it down. It's not a new emotion for her, Cosima has felt this before, not often, but it has happened. The single difference is that on previous occasions, there was no reason to resist the temptation; she could try to pursue the object of her desire and, more often than not, have that same desire satiated. The beast could feed and would calm down until the next person who made her feel this way came along.

At least, Cosima is happy to see, that the doctor has followed her advice; a light scarf is loosely wrapped around her neck while the blonde curls remain pinned up in a messy bun.

"It is," the brunette concedes, moving with grace to sit on the usual chair and placing her elbow on the armrest, palm up. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't make me feel cranky."

Delphine raises a surprised brow. "Then why do it? Why put yourself through this?"

"Damn, you really know how to sell your product, don't you?" Cosima says, biting her tongue to contain her smile.

A light flush colors the doctor's cheeks and she lowers her face just slightly. "I'm just curious," Delphine says after a subtle clear of throat. "You had all those... abilities and you just threw them away... for what?"

Cosima narrows her eyes, carefully examining the woman who so plainly posed a question nobody has bothered to ask before. It was a decision Cosima didn't take lightly, there were many reasons that made her choose this path, but she's not in the mood to share them with someone she knows nothing about and is having a hard time trusting.

"Immortality is overrated," she answers in an carefree way, "especially if you can't go to the beach and enjoy the sun. Although, judging by the lightness of your skin, that wouldn't be an issue for you." She chuckles. "You look more like a vampire than I do... You'd fit right in with my old gang."

"That seems fair," the doctor comments under her breath, she even shows a little smile, but deep down she's unconvinced. The humor in Cosima's response didn't fool her, but she nods her head nonetheless and moves her attention to the screen of her small computer.

The vampire, on the other hand, keeps looking at her with the same interested gaze, Delphine can still feel the curious eyes on her. She struggles to return her focus back to the work she's supposed to be doing, checking the boxes that don't require questioning the creature, where simple empirical observation will suffice. Even when Cosima's half distracted following Krystal's instructions, the doctor can sense her every move being keenly observed. It isn't necessarily intimidating, Delphine is sure that's not the intention of it, but it makes her feel self-conscious all the same. Perhaps it's because she knows that fooling someone who's been around for so many centuries is damn near impossible. That's why she forces her expression to remain neutral and when that doesn't work, she tries to hide it, lowering her head or directing her attention elsewhere. She knows that this doesn't go unnoticed by Cosima, but it's all she can do for now - at least until she knows whether she can trust her emotions around this creature, or, better yet, learn how to control them.

There's a moment of silence between the three women. Krystal's working on the next shot, knowing that after the first the patients tend to be a little more irritable. But today Cosima seems to be a little more calm during the entire procedure, her attention clearly divided between the two blondes. Delphine continues to fill out the forms, giving them more thought than what really is necessary. When the doctor returns her attention to the vampire, she's not surprised to see the observing gaze still on her, not that Cosima is trying to hide it. Even as their eyes meet, the brunette's stare doesn't waver, all she does is twist her lips slightly, as if something isn't quite right and it makes Delphine hesitate for a heartbeat before she starts to ask the questions.

Cosima answers them mechanically, no real thought behind her answers, not even bothering to keep the boredom she's feeling hidden. Delphine is sure that more than a few answers are blatant lies.

"Have you kept a balanced diet?"

"Yes."

"Have you gone out, made an effort to get reacquainted with the human society?"

"Yes, been having a blast!"

"Have you had contact with any vampires who haven't been introduced to the treatment or are currently refusing it?"

"No and no."

"Have you had thoughts about leaving the treatment?"

"And lose the height of my month?"

"Any side-effects other than the previously mentioned headaches?"

"Nope."

With every mumbled answer Delphine checks a box and moves to the next question, her eyes not going to the small brunette, who remains in the chair, pulling her sleeve down once Krystal has administered the second shot and leaning back into a more comfortable position. It's only when she finishes the questionnaire that the doctor looks at her patient and finds the expected bored expression.

"I know this is tedious," she admits after a deep sigh, "but it's for your own good."

"I fail to see how asking me personal questions is helping me with the treatment," Cosima replies a little annoyed. "Why does it matter with whom I spend my time?"

Delphine doesn't answer, she could parrot back at the brunette what has been said to her: that it is important to ascertain the patient's disposition during the treatment. However that argument wasn't nearly convincing enough for her, let alone someone like Cosima. So, she leaves the question floating in the air without answer, hoping that the vampire would drop the subject.

"You don't know, do you?" Cosima asks with a hint of bitterness. "You just do what you're told and make your little notes."

"You're correct," the doctor replies with the simplicity of someone who isn't in the disposition to make an issue of it. "I'm just doing my job. And as far as I can tell, you're here voluntarily. When you signed into the program you knew there were strings attached. Still, you decided to go on with it and I figure it's because you think the benefits outweigh the inconvenience. I don't believe you'd be here if you thought this arrangement wasn't beneficial for you." She surprises Cosima by stopping and smiling at the vampire. "Even if it's just the possibility of going to the beach."

The brunette chuckles, a throaty, subtle sound and shakes her head a few times. "You got me there, doc," her hands rise in a sign of surrender, before she aims one of them at the small screen in front of the blonde. "But I still think those questions are useless. I could lie and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Now Cosima, you shouldn't lie," Krystal, who has been silently moving around and preparing everything to leave, pitches in. "It can skew the results."

"How?" Cosima's stare leaves Delphine and finds the other woman near a cabinet behind her. "Unless there's a psychological component to these treatments I don't know about, one thing has nothing to do with the other."

"I don't care if you lie," Delphine says casually, as she gets up from the chair and loses her lab coat. "As long as you answer the questions..." she finishes, hanging the coat on the hook in the back of the door.

"Nice spirit there, doc!" Cosima comments, raising her brows, while the tall woman looks over her shoulder, shrugging gently and smiles at her. "Next month then..." she gets up and walks to the door.

The vampire leaves without waiting for Krystal and the woman doesn't make an effort to follow her. Cosima hopes that they don't do the same with other patients, not because she wants to believe she's special, but because some of her kind aren't worthy of the same type of trust. She walks along empty hallways and reaching the front lobby notices it vacant as well. The security guard doesn't bother to look at her twice when, with an annoyed grunt, he leaves his chair behind the big desk to walk to the front door and unlocks it, since office hours have passed.

The sun has finally set, the sky a darker shade of blue, but the wind has slowed down, inviting a stroll in the evening. In the past this was a sign that Cosima's day was just starting. When people were rushing to get home to their families, Cosima was leaving, barely able to make the remaining of the day passed before night fully settled. Now she's allowed to join the flow of the _regular_ society, but there's no rush in her steps, no family to go home to, no one waiting for her to get dinner going. No one except Alison, when she decides to pay a visit, that is.

Usually, after her appointment, the vampire's hurry to get home is due to her need to relax after the shots, the weed waiting for her inside a drawer in her nightstand is proof enough if it. However, today there's no such hurry; the vaccines have taken their toll all the same, she feels her energy levels drop at every passing minute. But she lingers around the big glass building, her steps slow, almost hesitant as she walks away, her stare singles out a stranger in the crowd of quick passers-by only to move to another. In the distance she picks up two female voices, chatting leisurely between each other, parting for the day. She knows to whom those voices belong to even before she can detect the words they're speaking and moves to their origin. Keeping a safe distance isn't difficult for her, having centuries of experience in such matters. Cosima observes the two women approaching a vehicle, the smaller blonde gets behind the wheel after another short exchange of words and drives away. The vampire's blazing eyes remain on the woman left behind, the smallest of steps guides her forward before she stops herself, fighting to keep the notion of _prey_ away from her rapidly declining reason. It has been too long since she had to struggle with the hunter inside her, she realizes with her stare refusing to leave the lithe figure joining the crowd on the sidewalks. _Silly girl_ , Cosima shakes her head to herself, the beast returning to its hole; it's bad enough that the doctor lives within walking distance of DYAD, but to actually walk there is just plain careless.

Contrary to what humans are lead to believe, vampires who undergo the treatment are not more docile, they haven't been broken, especially those who maintain some of their unnatural strength. Even if that was the case, it has come to Cosima's knowledge that the identities of those who work for DYAD, human or otherwise, are known in the underworld, the most active having prices on their heads. Cosima knows her own name is on the list, but she's also aware that very few are stupid enough to start a conflict with her.

Delphine is not hard to follow, even if she's not within the vampire's sight, the doctor's scent is different from anyone else's, unique to her like a fingerprint or DNA that she leaves behind everywhere she passes by. She doesn't mean to scare the blonde, in fact, she doesn't really know what she's doing, her mind is absent of thought, but her basic instinct keeps her moving in the same direction of Delphine. The lean woman remains unaware that she's been followed, or at least so Cosima thinks, judging by the lack of hesitation Delphine shows in reaching her building and opening the front door by punching the pin code on the security pad. Had it been early in the treatment and Cosima could easily see the code herself from where she's standing, just on the other side of the busy street, not having any difficulty in making herself look small amongst the unsuspecting crowd.

_Very, very careless, Dr. Cormier_ , she thinks when she starts to walk back to her place.


	4. Fourth

Delphine knows. She has had the feeling of being followed for two weeks now. And she suspects she knows by whom since it first happened when Cosima was the last patient of the day and left, leading the creature straight to her home. Although, truth be told, she wasn't absolutely sure, but the signs were all there. On the third day, when the feeling wouldn't leave her, the doctor walked slowly, stopping in front of a few windows, pretending to be interested in the items on display and a couple of furtive glances confirmed her suspicions.

What she doesn't know is why; what are the creature's intentions. Cosima has maintained her distance, stopped shortly after Delphine stopped and resumed the walk once the blonde did as well. Never approached her. Never made any direct contact or tried to get in the doctor's way. Delphine feels restless, her gut twisting with anxiety every time she steps outside the institute and feels a pair of dark eyes observe her every move. However, she doesn't necessarily feel threatened, doesn't fear for her safety under the scrutinizing gaze, as she ought to.

There's a very good reason why humans fear these creatures: survival instinct. Contrary to the many ignorant of her kind, Delphine doesn't fool herself; even those who are part of the program represent danger. Even with the inoculation, vampires can become animals under the right circumstances. The fact that Delphine is keenly aware that she has attracted the attention of one of these creatures and still doesn't feel threatened enough to change her routine is, for the lack of a better word, incredibly stupid. It makes no difference that Cosima is one of her patients or that she seems completely harmless, someone who chooses to make a weapon of her sharp tongue instead of her pointy fangs.

Yes, Delphine knows she should feel the threat lurking in the shadows and she does to some extent. But when she started to walk this path, Delphine knew that she had to be able to repress her most innate instincts; the biological imperative to survive had to be pushed aside in favor of the big picture.

She had hoped to attract the attention of one of the creatures, spark their interest enough that they would seek her out. What she didn't expect was that it would be someone like Cosima. With her centuries of experience, the older vampire should be smarter than that. When she was plotting her actions, many years before, the then future doctor thought it would be easier to attract a younger, more inexperienced creature; more than that, she always intended for it to go that way. When young, although less predictable, a vampire is easier to manipulate, especially if undergoing the treatment. They're practically humans, in strength and knowledge.

The unexpected turn of events has caught her completely off guard. Cosima will be harder to deal with: she remains stronger than most humans, yes, but it's her mind that represents the biggest challenge. Delphine is not stupid, she doesn't presume to be able to control the centuries old beast, but it's too late now. She'll have to adapt, reformulate her plans and, somehow, fit someone like Cosima in it.

For now, she needs to maintain her course. Any sort of deviations would attract unwanted attention and then no amount of adaptation will save her life.

* * *

 

The vampire doesn't understand how the doctor could be so careless in her routines. She's followed Delphine every weekday since that first meeting and quickly realized that either the blonde hasn't noticed, which she finds hard to believe - Cosima hasn't been particularly subtle - or she simply doesn't care.

Delphine's routine is always the same: she leaves work and goes straight home, except for Tuesdays when she stops by the same grocery store where she takes around thirty minutes before heading home, with a couple of bags in hand. Taking the same route every single time. After she leaves Delphine at her place, Cosima walks for another hour or so, lost in thought, her eyes wander along the concerned expressions around her, busy to get home or - if it happens to be a Friday afternoon - with small smiles, something bordering on relief on the faces of the people surrounding her, eager to enjoy the two days of rest.

Almost a full month has passed like this, and Delphine's routine has become Cosima's. She doesn't bother to stop and think about what she's doing or why she does it. Cosima has lived long enough to know that some things are better left untouched. She also doesn't lose time to think about how she'll face the doctor when it's time for her next appointment, even though she's curious to see how Delphine will react. It's not over-reaching to assume she'll be able to figure out if Delphine is or not aware of her... interest.

"That is unwise."

The familiar voice makes her turn and face its owner, someone she has called a friend, family even, throughout many centuries.

"Felix!" Cosima exclaims, a sober tone to her voice, her expression set in stone.

"It's drawing undesirable attention," the man with the deceptively young face says, his eyes looking back at the door of the building where the tall blonde has just walked into.

Cosima frowns and chances a small step in the lean figure's direction. "I was under the impression that my life is no one's concern but my own," she says, slightly annoyed at the younger vampire's presumption to tell her what she should or shouldn't do. "One of the perks of leaving the family."

"I'm just passing along a message," Felix bows his head slightly, but the gesture of subjugation is not followed by his eyes, shining brightly, a clear indication that he had fed recently. "She doesn't like it," he mutters.

"I stopped caring about what she likes a long time ago," she says flatly.

"I just thought I should warn you, Cosima," he says in a softer tone, genuine concern wrapped around his words. "If you care for the safety of the good doctor..."

He tilts his chin at the door on the other side of the street, as if his words were not clear enough and walks away, his easy steps allowing him melt into the anonymous crowd around them.

Cosima sighs, shakes her head to herself and walks in the opposite direction. She should've known. Three years apart from the family and they still keep tabs on her. It shouldn't surprise her, really. What are three years when you have eternity?

Entering her apartment, she releases a bitter chuckle, the irony too palpable to be dismissed. She thought Delphine was being careless to keep the same routine day in and day out, while, at the same time, she was doing exactly the same thing. It is equally as dangerous for her to be making the same mistake, if not more so. Until now, Cosima wasn't particularly concerned about who followed her, or whose attention she roused with her activities. She knows how to take care of herself, and others know well enough to keep their distance. But if, with her actions, she has brought unwanted attention to the doctor... well, that's an entirely different matter.

It's not like Delphine is a civilian per se. Being a scientist for DYAD, the woman is probably aware of the danger that surrounds them. What worries Cosima, however, is that humans lack the abilities to fight back when attacked. It's irrelevant if this particular human is aware of the threat, when they come for her, that knowledge won't help her in the least.

The knock on the door startles her briefly, but not nearly enough to encourage her to leave the couch, where she'd dropped herself after arriving home with a joint between her fingers. Smoke rises lazily as she expels it, the only movement she makes is that of the arm coming up for another drag. Three more knocks, sharper and faster manage only to draw her gaze to the door, brows crumpled in irritation, inwardly begging Alison to get the message and leave her be. Cosima is not in the mood to entertain. Only a hint of guilt rises up as she finally hears steps moving away and the door of the upstairs apartment open and close.

The day of her appointment arrives and this time Cosima gets up when it's still dark outside, not that she had a pleasant night and woke up refreshed. In fact, since her meeting with Felix she hadn't had a single night of restful sleep.

Try as she might to ignore it, his warning hit a nerve. Cosima knows how these things work and if her actions attracted attention to the doctor, she knows it's in her best interest to stop. No point in putting Dr. Cormier in danger because of her curiosity. With that in mind, the vampire had ceased her... observations. She didn't follow the blonde, and made sure to steer clear of both the institute and the doctor's house the next few days. But the damage was done, and she knew there was no way to erase that. She could only hope that by staying away from Delphine, it would prove to others that she'd gotten the message and moved on. Cosima hated to have her actions limited by people, but she couldn't be selfish to the point of ignoring the danger she carried with herself.

She arrives at DYAD just after the doors had opened and she's immediately guided to the doctor's office by Krystal. Vampires, even those who are determined to be a part of society, are not necessarily morning creatures, so it doesn't surprise her that she doesn't have to sit and wait. The perky assistant is her normal happy self, indicating that if the doctor is aware of her actions the previous weeks, she hasn't informed Krystal about it.

"We weren't expecting you so early, Cosima," Krystal comments as they reach the office.

"I was up," Cosima shrugs. "Thought I should just get over with it."

They enter the room, but the doctor in nowhere to be seen, although the long coat and purse hanging by the door indicates that she has already arrived.

"Dr. Cormier is getting some coffee," Krystal offers casually. "Mornings tend to be slow."

"Yes... night creatures and all," Cosima takes off her coat and sits on one of the chairs.

"You can go now," the voice comes from the door immediately after it's opened.

"Look who we have here," the assistant cheerfully announces, her hand waving in Cosima's direction. "Someone decided to be an early bird."

"I can see that..." the doctor sits in her chair, a large paper cup in one hand still steaming, while with the other hand she opens a drawer on her desk and drops a pack of cigarettes inside. "Is everything okay?" She asks mildly interested.

The vampire observes her carefully, nothing in Delphine's expression gives her away. She did look a little surprised when she arrived at the office to see that Krystal was not alone, but quickly recovered.

"Sure, just had a early morning," Cosima nods curtly while her eyes continue to search for any indication of her suspicions, not bothered to hide her curious gaze.

"Very good," Delphine nods as well. If she's annoyed by the vampire's blatant observation, she hides it well. "You can get that coffee if you still want, Krystal," she says with a quick glance to her assistant before her attention returns to the screen in front of her. "I can take care of Ms. Niehaus."

The other woman only hesitates for a heartbeat before she leaves, closing the door quietly behind her and leaving doctor and patient alone in the office, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as Delphine raises from the chair and walks with slow and steady steps to the cabinet behind Cosima. The blonde remains quiet while she prepares everything, her hands swift and precise as if she's been doing this for years. She approaches Cosima, setting the tray on the desk next to the vampire who's already rolling up her sleeve. All was done with extreme efficiency, quick but calm, and in a contemplative silence. It's not until she takes the chair next to Cosima's that their eyes meet again.

"I don't know if I want to know why you've been following me," she comments in a low voice, almost as if talking to herself, her eyes focused on the bend of Cosima's arm as she swabs the area with a cotton ball.

"You probably don't," Cosima replies, using the same blunt honesty she was given.

Delphine hums softly, reaching for the tourniquet and tying it around the slender arm before she reaches for the needle previously prepared. Cosima seems momentarily mesmerized by the doctor's movements, by the calmness she exudes even discussing such a topic. The woman's calmness, however, doesn't feel cold or detached, but wrapped around simplicity and an innate grace.

"What about why you stopped? Do I want to know that?" The voice retains the same relaxed intonation, but this time bright hazel orbs meet Cosima's stare.

Cosima arches her brow and observes the blonde, carefully trying to read her mind, but Delphine hides her thoughts well. Even with centuries of experience in dealing with all kinds of people, the vampire can't peek into the doctor's brain, and there's no clue in her expression that gives away her thoughts. She just continues to work on Cosima's injections; her gloved hands warm and steady, lightly gripping the brunette's skin, and causing a burning sensation that's not unlike the sun's rays in the old days. The vampire has to struggle not to pull her arm back, swallowing a low growl.

"I don't think you want to know that either," she answers, her mind going back to Felix's words of warning a few days back.

Delphine releases a dry chuckle. "I don't know how to feel about that," she admits, shaking her head.

"Scared," Cosima immediately says, the muscles of her arm tense subtly just as the last needle draws back. "You should feel scared, Delphine."

Delphine's eyes snap up, her face finally showing some sort of emotion, although it's not exactly fear. Cosima believes she can see more of a curiosity mask her features, perhaps a little wavering in the blonde's stare, pearly white teeth nibbling a lower lip, pulling slightly.

"Are you going to harm me?" Delphine asks frowning, somehow sounding like a challenge.

"I'm not talking about myself," the vampire says after a deep sigh, her arm retreating in a swift motion, the doctor's hand limp hold not strong enough to prevent it. Finally seeing some fear in Delphine's narrowed eyes, Cosima pushes forward, not in a threatening tone, but warning. "Many of my kind don't like what you're doing here," she adds, rolling down her sleeve and rubbing the area of her arm that feels sore.

"You think I don't know that?" Delphine's challenging tone gains momentum and she gets up and walks around the desk to sit in her chair, putting some distance between them. "How naive do you think I am?"

Cosima quietly observes as the doctor let her emotions run free for the first time since they've met. It's quite an incredible sight, if she's honest. Delphine seems to have a nervous habit of running her hand through her curls when her usual calm demeanor slips away, but the best part is the heated energy that shines through the bright hazel eyes, blazing like a pyre that takes on a dark green color. The vampire doesn't know where such emotion comes from, after all, her words didn't carry a too different timber than before, and yet the doctor obviously responds to them with an unexpected passionate reaction. Something tells Cosima that this is not all there is; that there's a more volatile side to the other woman that she's obviously restraining.

Her own reaction is equally unexpected as the beast inside raises its hackles. The little hairs on the back of her neck prickle with satisfaction, and a shiver of arousal drags down her spine as her gut coils tightly and her hips arch slightly forward in her chair.

Now, this is new! It never occurred to Cosima that she would enjoy it so much. She likes them mild, easily bending to her wishes. Someone who burns so hot, so fast is unpredictable and Cosima tends to stay away. Or perhaps she just got used to it. After all, it's not just anyone that's stupid enough or careless enough to risk awakening the beast slumbering inside her. Until now, the vampire was simply curious about the blonde. Even if she considered Delphine to be more than she appears, she wasn't sure where she stood. Now, with this reaction, the doctor still remains a mystery, but Cosima's suspicion grows and her instincts tell her she should be a lot more careful. Delphine is far from clueless and that makes her dangerous.

She feels herself at odds, contradicting emotions press against her mind. On one hand, there's the self-preservation instinct that has guided her through the centuries and kept her safe. On the other hand, she feels the curiosity towards the other woman building, the inquisitive aspect of her mind driving her to find out more about Delphine, attracted by the mystery she presents.

"I didn't mean to make you so angry," Cosima says in the same soft tone, hiding what's running through her mind.

"You didn't make me angry," Delphine replies flatly, but it's unconvincing, her stare reveals what her voice works hard to hide.

Cosima raises a brow, a smirk tugs her lips in amusement. "Did it make you feel uncomfortable?"

Delphine sees the curiosity rise in the creature's eyes, shining more brightly than she's seen before, the spectacles no longer enough to mask the true nature of what is standing before her. Cosima looks human, moves as a human, talks as a human and most of the times can easily pass as one. But Delphine knows the wild animal inside is alive, and wide awake in front of her and alarms sound all over her mind. Internally, she recoils in defense, but outside she keeps her cool, her stare doesn't waver from Cosima, confronting the beast head-on.

"It did," she responds firmly. "I don't know why you stopped it, quite frankly, I don't even think I care, as long as you keep it that way." She states with finality, her eyes return to the screen, her expression rearranged in the indifferent mask she had before, hoping that's not too late.

She makes a decision: Cosima's too dangerous. There's no way Delphine can possibly control her if discovered. She'll have to find someone else and, at the same time, cut ties with the much too old and experienced vampire.

"I had no intention to scare you," Cosima's chest deflates.

"I wasn't scared," she answers honestly, because not once did she fear for herself when she was being followed by Cosima. "But I don't feel comfortable having my every move being watched."

The brunette nods slowly. "I can understand that," she agrees, relaxing against the chair.

They go through the routine questions efficiently, Cosima answering them in dispassionate, bored monotone. The detachment shouldn't come as a shock to the doctor, but she feels her chest squeeze tightly and refuses to take her eyes off the screen. For her part, Cosima grows more frustrated with the interview and it only causes her to give shorter and shorter answers, a bite in her voice. Delphine notices, but ignores it. The tension in the small room becomes unmanageable with the seconds ticking by far too slowly.

The last question is answered as Cosima slips into her coat, quickly approaching the door. Her chaotic state of mind is the only explanation for her complete surprise at Delphine's hand grasping her wrist as she extends it to the doorknob. The moment she feels long fingers wrap around her wrist, she freezes.

"Cosima..." Her name is called so softly that the vampire isn't sure if it's actually spoken.

Only when she looks up at the blonde's expression is she certain. The constellation of colors in the other woman eyes leaves her off balance, feeling the ground beneath her quake and the predator inside her rises again, more awake than ever, and dangerously pushing her rational side to the margins of her mind. Her canines ache with anticipation and she swallows thickly, her tongue swipes against their growth and when she clenches her jaw fighting for control she feels them nipping the inside of her lower lip. This time Delphine trembles at the sight, finally the true danger of her position sinks in and she's quick to remove her hand.

Cosima moves even faster though, her own hand shooting forward to capture the slender wrist and watches the other woman flinch, taking a small step back that the vampire halts. "There are far more dangerous people out there doctor," she says in a thick voice.

"Is that a threat?" Despite the waver in her words and the tremble in her heart, Delphine seems unable to remove her eyes from the creature's true face, crystal blue orbs pin her where she stands, canines unnaturally long seize her attention and she finds herself no longer resisting the nearness Cosima has initiated.

"It's a warning," Cosima corrects her and catches herself, releasing her grasp. "I think you know I wouldn't hurt you."

"I don't know if that's entirely true," Delphine responds with a whisper, thinking aloud while the hand recently freed moves to Cosima's cheek, a curious thumb runs the shape of the creature's lips, her gaze fixed on the unsheathed fangs.

Cosima stirs slightly, the two entities living inside her fighting for dominance, the beast gaining a seemly insurmountable lead with the feeling of soft, warm skin sliding against hers. In a gesture that's too quick for the doctor's eyes to see, the vampire pins the other woman to the wall next to the door, the torturous hand seized in a demanding grip next to blonde curls. Her senses go into overdrive, the mixture of fear and arousal claims her attention and looking the startled woman in the eyes leaves her no room for doubt. The blistering stare is on her, bright and interested, curious, but wavering with uncertainty. At the same time, the vampire is surprised to notice that there's no resistance, no retaliation, only the pink of a tongue briefly slips out of partially parted lips before the bottom one is bitten down.

She growls, a sound that rattles up her chest and lodges in her throat and, if it scares Delphine, she doesn't show it, not even when Cosima presses forward, her compact form tensing against the elegant shape of the blonde's body that she pulls to herself with a tight clutch on the slender waist.

"You should know better, Delphine," she warns in a groan, her nose buried against the soft skin of the neck, passing the barrier of the ridiculously useless scarf.

The blood beneath fragile flesh picks up, she can feel it against her lips, hear it loud as a drum beating inside her head. The scent of the other woman intensifies, with her nostrils sinking in the curve of the pale neck and breathing in deeply. Delphine shudders, but not from fear; no, it can't be when she's yet to fight against Cosima's touch, when feeling the surprisingly warm breath against her skin she extends her neck and a hand comes to cradle the back of the other woman's head, her fingers tangle in coarse dreadlocked hair.

_Silly woman_ , Cosima hears herself think, but she knows it's not her words, not who she really is, it never was - the animal never controlled her, not in the many centuries behind her. But here she is, letting it take charge of her actions, lulling her into a false sense of immunity.

Cosima's heightened senses catch the unwelcome interruption before it's even at the door. She could easily bar the assistant from entering the office, a single hand against the door would do it, it wouldn't even take much of her attention. She considers it for a moment as her brain is intoxicated by Delphine's scent and deafened by the noise of blood running wild. Cosima pulls back though, in a moment of fleeting discernment, she moves away, hearing the whimper of the unsatisfied beast as she does so.

She's not sure if Delphine even sees her leave, but she knows that her movements are too quick to give the doctor time; to gauge any sort of reaction. Cosima doesn't even know if the doctor would've tried to prevent her from leaving, and if that was the case, she wouldn't want to hear what Delphine had to say.


	5. Fifth

Delphine can't say that she actually saw the vampire leave, but she was acutely aware of the sudden loss of warmth, and stunned by the caress of the breeze created as the door opens and shuts in the blink of an eye; the sound of it slamming causing her to jump. She blinks a few times, still with her back firmly pressed against the wall and her mind a confused mix of voices screaming inside her head, pulling her thoughts in every direction.

Seconds later, the door opens again and she barely registers the perky assistant returning to the office.

"Was that Cosima leaving?" Krystal asks, her neck craned, presumably watching the creature walk down the hall.

Delphine says nothing, still struggling to contain her thoughts, then finally peels herself from the wall and straightens her lab coat with one steady tug.

"Is everything okay?" Her assistant, noticing her disarray, eyes her with a curious gaze.

"Yes," the doctor answers shortly.

"You sure?" Krystal's suspicion grows, Delphine can sense it in the intense stare thrown in her direction. "Because it's not like her to leave without saying goodbye and you look so..."

"Maybe she had somewhere to go," Delphine interrupts her instantly before the other woman has time to voice her conjectures.

"I guess..." Krystal mumbles, not entirely convinced.

"Have any of our other clients arrived yet?" Delphine asks, not meeting Krystal's gaze. Instead her eyes flash to Cosima's open file on her monitor. She saves her updates and quickly closes it.

"Front desk hasn't said anything," her assistant replies as she crosses the small office and clears the desk of the supplies that were used for Cosima.

Delphine continues to feel Krystal's interested eyes on her and she knows she better start to do a better job at hiding her emotions. The cheerful young woman might seem a bit of an airhead, but the doctor knows she's a sharp observer. With no more time to think about what happened, she centers her mind, saving her thoughts on Cosima for later.

* * *

 

The vampire hurries down the street. It's moments like this when she misses having something, anything really, to keep her mind off the thoughts that consume her.

What was she thinking? Was she thinking at all? Her body remains tense, the beast demanding the shift, even after she'd put miles between herself and the doctor. Her fangs are pricking at her lower lip, her heavy breathing having nothing to do with her fast pace. When a distracted pedestrian collides with her, she growls, making the teenage boy gasp and escape in the opposite direction.

She ends up in one of the few hang outs she has. Still too early to serve their usual customers, _Nightcrawler_ is open just the same. It's not like anyone is about to enter this place without knowing where they are. The bar has earned the reputation of being a sanctuary of sorts for all non-human, a place where vampires and lycans, either being on the _recovering program_ or not, get together without creating (many) problems. Said reputation is, most likely, due to the way the owner keeps everyone in check, and if you decide to break the rules the sentence is a swift and permanent ban, with no appeal.

"Cosima, my dear, fancy to see you here so early." The woman greets her with a wolf-like smile that leaves no doubt regarding her nature.

"Hi, S!" Cosima takes a stool at the bar, slouching.

"What's wrong, chicken?" She gives the vampire her undivided attention, slinging the washcloth over her shoulder.

Cosima cringes slightly at the pet name, but doesn't have the heart to correct the woman, who's centuries her junior.

"Is Sarah around?" Cosima asks.

"This early?" Siobhan snorts and shakes her head. "She's sleeping upstairs, of course." She answers, jamming her thumb at the door that leads to their upstairs apartment. "Looking for weed?"

Cosima rises her head quickly, blinks few times after hearing the casually asked question. "Nothing goes on in here that I don't know about," the woman says with a small smile. "And whatever is bothering you, I assure you that getting high is not the answer."

"Ugh..." Cosima drops her head to the counter, at least most of the tension has passed, but now she's feeling the secondary effects of the treatment. "Do you miss it?" She asks after a while, raising her head.

"What?" The other woman cocks a brow.

"The freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want?" She clarifies.

"I never had the pleasure of such a thing." The werewolf laughs, getting back to the glasses she was cleaning. "There were always consequences, as you well know, and we always had to consider them."

"You know what I mean." Cosima rolls her eyes. "When they didn't know about us, there was always more room to maneuver, more gray areas. We knew there were things we could get away with."

"Like making more of your kind?" Siobhan asks with a hint of annoyance. "I'm sorry if I don't think that's a bad thing. I still remember when our species didn't exactly get along as I'm sure you do as well."

It's true that vampires and lycans had not always been on the best of terms; sharing the night between the two sides often led to a blood bath in the old days. Even now, the truce continues to hang in a precarious balance and any little dispute could send them into another war.

These days things seem to be calmer. Humans are in much greater number and with better technology, have imposed their own laws upon everyone. Taking a life, either by turning a human or eliminating someone from another species is tried as murder, and the punishment is applied to vampires and werewolves alike.

"You know I've never turned anyone," Cosima reminds her. "Nor have I ever been at war with your kind. Make love, not war and all that shit..."

The other woman laughs. "A hippy before her time," she comments. "So, what's the matter then?"

"I don't know..." The vampire shakes her head. "I guess I'm just... Maybe this abstinence is getting to me."

"Well... it's not for everyone," Siobhan reasons aloud. "I still don't understand why you agreed to that. You're one of the good ones in my book. Lord knows we could do with more like you in the years to come. Despite the government's attempt, it's not like our species are going anywhere."

"That's because Cosima's an idealist," Sarah butts in, coming through the back door, rubbing sleepy eyes. "She believes that we can all live together in peace and prosperity."

The vampire pays little mind to the youngest werewolf's provocation, having grown accustomed to her cynicism about the program. Neither of the two women had signed on for the treatment; Sarah out of pure principle, and Siobhan refrained to keep her adoptive daughter safe, along with the little girl upstairs, who's a well kept secret from the people they don't trust.

"Don't you think that it would be a better world for Kira to grow up in?" Cosima asks.

"Sure," Sarah snorts. "But I don't expect it to be a real one any time soon. I don't care how they sell it, people in DYAD are shifty as shit and I doubt their intentions are as pure as they claim."

"You suspect everyone, Sarah," the vampire says, with a dismissing wave of her hand. "You didn't even trust me when we first met."

"Hey! That's not entirely true. I _still_ don't trust you," Sarah responds with a smile. "I don't know that one day you're not gonna decide to bite me."

"Dog blood tastes foul," Cosima teases, showing a smirk. "Not that I know from experience, but it's well documented in our community."

"Fuck off!" The young wolf accuses the metaphorical bite, while the older one just lets out a subtle chuckle. "But you have no problems taking my weed."

The vampire shrugs. "It's not too bad."

"Especially since you've been coming around a lot more lately. And I wager it has something to do with your abstinence issues - as you called it."

Sarah talks as she leaves the bar and goes into the private area. Meanwhile, Cosima's left with the other woman, who appears to be focused on the task of cleaning the small tables which later will be filled with patrons.

"So, who do you want to bite?" Sarah asks as soon as she returns, sliding a small bag along the bar.

"Not you!" Cosima answers, using her quick reflexes to stop the bag that she shoves in the pocket of her coat.

"That stuff won't make it go away," Sarah says, finger aiming at the pocket. "Poor substitute for blood, if you ask me."

"What would you know about that?" Cosima's starting to sound frustrated, as she puts a few bills on the counter.

"If it's the same feeling I get when I shift..." Sarah shrugs, counting the money distractedly, not noticing the growing tension in the vampire. "Nothing is quite like it."

Cosima remains silent for a while, knowing that the point the other woman made is spot on. She knows that nothing would even come close to the satisfaction of letting her let beast have its fill, especially when it is fixated on someone in particular. Just the thought makes her shiver, the cluster of emotions coursing through her veins with the fantasy, causing the tips of her fangs to extend slightly with the prospect of something that is more intense than a mere meal.

Cosima grunts a goodbye, and the two werewolves eye her with amazement as she makes a quick retreat. To calm herself, she taps the bag of weed in her pocket, replacing the anticipation of a fantasy with something she can control. Anxiety fills her, and as soon as she gets home, Cosima seems about substituting that for the calming burn of marijuana. Sprawled on the couch with an ashtray on her stomach, Cosima smokes with her eyes locked on the dirty white ceiling until she finally feels her muscles relax and her eyelids go heavy.

* * *

 

At the end of the day, Delphine leaves the office with Krystal in tow. Her persistent agitation hadn't gone unnoticed by her assistant, who, after Cosima's appointment, barely left her side. More than once, the tall blonde had caught the other woman's eyes on her. For her part, Delphine had done her best to keep up the appearance that all was normal, but it was a difficult mask to maintain. Thoughts of the early morning meeting haunted her throughout the day, holding her thoughts captive, making minutes seem like hours. She was eager to reach the end of the day and finally be able to get from under the all-too curious gaze of her assistant.

Still, she doesn't address it, doesn't complain about the shadow that follows her everywhere and acts like she's not noticing. Attracting further attention is the last thing she needs, so she tolerates it, forcing a smile while her mind is constantly demanding space to pull itself together.

It's not until Krystal drives away that Delphine takes the long, deep breath that seemed to have been stuck in her chest for a really long time. She pulls the computer bag strap higher on her shoulder and starts her walk. She tries to make sense of what happened this morning, to find a reasonable explanation for what can only be described as a moment of weakness. Yes, she'd been caught by surprise by the quick motion of the creature, much too fast for her human mind to react. Unfortunately, that doesn't account for the fact that it was Delphine herself who'd initiated contact, who had, rather carelessly, kept Cosima from leaving in the first place.

While only starting her career, this wasn't the first direct contact the young doctor has had with these creatures. However, since her previous encounters with such beasts had been anything but passive, the appeal of vampires had always escaped her. She knows they can be charming - like anyone else - most of them don't resort to force to lure their victims, but she always thought her past experiences had granted her some imagined immunity to their persuasive methods. Cosima strikes her as a different kind of creature though, unlike any other she has ever encountered. Cosima is far more subtle, most likely from her centuries walking this earth. The charm of the experienced vampire seems quite unique; she's effortless in her persuasion, and her appeal comes from how easily she carries herself, how she commands attention without trying, perhaps even involuntarily.

That must be it, the doctor reasons, why her heavily fortified barriers, built over the years, were so easily breached. But now she knows better. Next time she'll be better prepared and won't be caught by surprise.

Delphine is so ensconced in her own thoughts, walking in the late afternoon among the crowd heading to their respective homes, that she doesn't notice the ominous figure following her, shining eyes trained on her while an inquisitive mind wondered what Cosima could've possibly seen in this weak human.

The figure slips unnoticed through the crowd, its compact structure makes it easy to remain overlooked, slightly smirking at the humans who can't even begin to comprehend the danger this world represents to them. Although not today, not now. In this moment only one of the individuals of the weaker species is in real danger, only one of them is the target of unwanted attention.

Delphine approaches a dark alleyway on her left, the icy blue eyes shine even brighter, sensing the opportunity it has been waiting for. The small presence moves too quickly for lazy human eyes to see anything other than a weird shadow, a cold wind passing between the warm bodies. Just as quickly, a hand reaches out, finding a lean wrist and tugging violently.

Delphine flies across the dark alley, crashing hard against the dirty pavement, the air forced out of her lungs with the impact and a sharp pain courses up her arm. With no time to process what had happened, Delphine feels a cold hand wrap around her neck, lifting and pushing her against the chain link fence that rattles with the pressure, the grip closing her airways and lifting her off the ground. The inhumanly bright eyes leave no doubt as to the nature of her attacker, the white fangs not necessary for confirmation.

"Hello doctor!" The voice is like silk, the low pitch freezing the blood in her veins. The evil smirk stretching across polished features would be beautiful if it weren't for the dark intentions painted on them.

Delphine brings both hands to the solid arm stretched to keep her steady, and a searing pain immediately shoots out from the palm of her hand. A shard of broken glass embedded in her flesh is pushed deeper, leaving dark red smears on a muscled arm, hard and cold like marble. Even so, the doctor doesn't care about it; her primary concern is to find a way to bring air to her constricted windpipe.

There's no real fear in Delphine. Somehow she's always known this outcome was a possibility. She simply feels disappointed that she won't have the opportunity to execute her plan. A sort of resignation crosses her expression as she watches her attacker's young eyes, momentarily distracted by the red stain, becoming slightly disgusted. It's a complete stranger, but the disdain with which it looks at her, the hardness in the stare gives Delphine the sensation that this is no random attack, this feels personal.

"I'm curious," the same smooth voice says, an eyebrow arched and the index finger of the free hand tapping the lips a few times as if seriously pondering the question. "Does Cosima know about it or that the poison you've been injecting her with has dulled her senses that much?"

Delphine doesn't respond, even when the grip on her neck relaxes enough to put her down and allow oxygen back into her lungs, presumably to produce an answer. Instead, she smirks with contempt; resigned to her fate. The doctor has no intention to give what her attacker wants. This seems to amuse the creature, who becomes more vile, the hand gripping the neck tenses again.

"You're in luck that I don't like someone else's sloppy seconds," the flawless face gives an unnerving smile. "Of course, that doesn't mean you're not too good to kill."

"Then do it already!" Delphine's voice comes out broken from the strain in her neck, but her stare doesn't waver. "What are you waiting for?"

"Now, now..." An index finger wiggles in front of Delphine's face, admonishing an insolent child. "Where's the fun in killing you without the audience I'm expecting?"


	6. Intermezzo

_**Vienna, Early 18th Century** _

To say Cosima's origins are humble is a gross understatement. The youngest of eleven children from a rural couple, her family moved from the Austrian border with Italy to the slums of Vienna, searching for a better life, only to find themselves in deeper poverty. It was a bad omen for Cosima Niehaus. Even during her human life, she didn't remember much of her younger years, the memories probably repressed. She does however, to this day, remember the hunger and, most of all, the cold in the austere Austrian winter. She remembers the nights she couldn't get warm, curled up in a pile of straw that served as a bed for her and two of her siblings in a drafty loft in the poorest part of the imponente metropole.

Despite all that, her surviving brothers and sisters considered her the lucky one. After all, her parents were patient with her, and only at the age of fourteen, after her mother had succumbed to pneumonia, was she forced to leave the house and find a life of her own. Until then she had scrambled to help her constantly infirm mother in the fish market, working for a few pennies a week, gutting fish and sell it to the higher classes that could afford such a treat. The discarded parts often turned into a watered down stew to feed too many hungry mouths.

With her fate hanging in the balance, the young girl was sent on her way with the clothes on her back and a couple of pennies in her pocket. She soon discovered that no one risked rent her so much as a bed; she was too young without a job or even the prospect of one. With no other alternative, Cosima resorted to joining the hundreds of people who slept on the step stones of elegant opera houses and theaters and was awoken with kicks to the stomach when morning arrived. The money she was allowed to bring with her lasted a staggering two weeks of food and after that, following the example of her street peers, Cosima started to beg for scraps in the back alleys of fancy restaurants, some nights with better success than others. It was the nights she went to sleep with an empty belly that the precariousness of her situation hit her the hardest.

It appeared that her fate was sealed. For a young girl without a dime to her name and no real skills, there was only one way to survive. She had seen them, of course, in the dark alleys as she roamed, scavenging for food. Saw them pressed against grimy, piss covered brick walls, with gruesome men lifting their skirts to reach an unimpressed, dry cunt. Prostitution seemed like her only option, her only valued asset being what lay between her legs. Still, she resisted. Even after several offers, the young girl refused to sell herself for a poor meal. It was not that she thought of herself better than those who followed that path, it was simply that the thought of it was enough to turn her stomach.

She hadn't had a meal for four days when she realized that you can't choose your fate; fate chooses you. The only reason she didn't puke while guiding the impeccably dressed, but extremely overweight man down a side street next to the tavern he'd stumbled out of, was because she had nothing left to expel. Yet, Cosima felt sick when he had roughly pushed her small body against a wall she passed by every day. Willing herself to just let go, the fourteen year old was trying hard to leave her body and pray that it wouldn't take too long. Other girls had told her the first time was the worst and after a few times, it was a job like any other, just another way to put food in her mouth. A rough hand was pulling at the soiled rags she wore, while the other was pushing his own trousers down, his disgusting heavy breath against her cheek as his grunts mingled with the sounds of voices and laughter coming from the tavern window that illuminated the dark corner. She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear slipping out and rolling down her dirty face that was ignored by the monstrosity pressed against her frail body. Waiting for her brain to shut down, her mind screamed for a way out but found none.

As she felt his swollen organ crushed against her thigh, Cosima didn't think about what she was doing when she summoned what was left of her energy to slam her skinny knee into the man's groin with all her strength. He released a strangled growl, and lurched backwards while bringing both his hands to cover the area in pain. Cosima was frozen, blinking as she watched the man trying to recover. She should run, leave him to nurse the pain alone, but her legs wouldn't move and after a couple of minutes, still with one hand between his legs, he came to her, swinging a fist. The blow to her face sent her stumbling back, hitting the wall, but jerked her out of the stupor, allowing her to easily evade his next attack. Catching the man by surprise, she took the chance to trip him, sending his massive body down with tremendous force, face first. It had been pure instinct that guided her when she started to kick him while he was down, cursing loudly with every blow of her foot to the man's impressive belly and legs. When he moved to turn on his back, she attacked his groin again until he was weakly moaning in pain, curling into himself, hands tucked between his legs in a futile attempt to shield himself. In the adjacent tavern the laughter and shouting continued, easily concealing the noise of the man's screams.

She quickly knelt and reached into his overcoat, fishing for his coin purse. She smiled her biggest smile in ages when she pulled it out, heavy with wealth. She didn't need to open it to know it was more money than she had ever seen in her life, the weight of the velvet sack enough proof of the gold and silver coins that inflated the purse. She stuffed it inside her undergarments, leaving the disgusting man laying on the ground with another kick to his stomach for good measure.

That night she had the best meal of her life to this day, not because it was the most tasteful or elaborate she ever had, but it was definitely the most satisfying.

Despite her newly found fortune, Cosima didn't go in a frenzy of spending. She was finally able to rent a room in a building that, at least had basic sanitation, and the landlord was more than happy to provide her with the best room available after receiving payment for six months. Cosima shared the house with three prostitutes, but all of them had their own bedroom, a true luxury, and bringing clients to the house was strictly forbidden. She didn't move out of the slums, but it was a significant improvement from the miserable attic she was raised in. The landlord's wife was a seamstress and new garments were the only other extravagant expense she made. She requested something simple and practical, something a seamstress apprentice would wear. She would need to be able to move around undetected, invisible, if she wanted to make it work.

Cosima discovered she had quick hands, probably from her work in the fish market. She became an expert at moving in and out of unsuspecting crowds; the wealthy patrons leaving the theater after an evening enjoying the latest musical, or out of a soiree held by one of the preeminent families of the growing city. Her hands slipped easily in and out of embroidered vests, or reduced the heavy weight of purses filled with coins dangling from the waist of gentlemen who looked at her with a superior gaze while ignoring her hand stripping them of their money. The fine purses were left abandoned in a ditch somewhere to get rid of any evidence of her activities. Unlike many of the peers she has come to meet over the years, Cosima stayed away from jewelry or the few banknotes she encountered in billfolds, nothing that could be traced back to the original owners. Trading jewels and fancy watches in pawn shops, or trying to scam a bank was how you get caught. Greed would land you in jail.

She lived a modest life, protecting herself, and changing her hunting ground regularly. Safety was paramount, making sure her face didn't become too familiar, stealing only when she felt comfortable with the area after several days surveying the premises. She didn't want to get rich; her only was aspiration to never go hungry again, no longer be desperate for a meal or money to buy new clothes and shoes. In time, she found her own place, moving out of the pest infested slums and into a loft in a modest part of Vienna where merchants were starting to move to now that the city was booming and the search for finer commodities was increasing. The city was growing; new and impressive buildings were rising every day, expanding the number of places she could work around. She couldn't complain, life was good after all.

Cosima always liked the Summer. The lighter fabrics made her work much easier, and people would stay out until late at night. She didn't know if was the heat, but they also became more stupid.

It was on such a night that her luck ran out.

She was slipping her hand out of a silk coat, prize in hand when gloved fingers wrapped around her wrist, freezing her movements.

"I don't think that belongs to you."

The female voice spoke casually, so low that it seem to come from inside her head. She lifted her head and found a gaze as blue as the summer sky. Without a word she tried to run, but the small hand had a surprisingly strong grip and yanked her so firmly that she almost lost her footing. Cosima looked around, finding several pairs of eyes pinning her with angry gazes; she was trapped.

"Where do you think you're going?" The small woman asked.

Cosima swallowed thickly, her arm still captured by the strong hold. She took in the other woman, the gown a bright yellow, almost as golden as the stylish hair. She was small, shorter than Cosima herself, and her complexion was unnaturally pale that Cosima associated with white powder, so en vogue those days. An ample bosom was nearly spilling out of the top of the dress, with the shoulders and slender neck wrapped in white fur, completely unnecessary in the hot night but that no lady would leave the house without. The rouge covering her cheekbones not enough to hide the youthful features, even with lips painted a dark pink.

Next to the mysterious woman was a tall man, at least twice her age, a white wig sitting somewhat skewed on top of his head. He wore white breeches with a white shirt beneath a red and gold embroidered vest. His justacorps was draped clumsily over his shoulder, unbuttoned with the folds pulled up. His expression, while dull, held a deadly stare that was turned to the woman he was chaperoning, as if Cosima hadn't just tried to relieve him of his purse.

"Keep it!" Cosima spit out as her hand opened and allowed the purse to drop to the marble steps of the opera House, some coins rolling from inside.

The other woman smiled, gleaming white teeth giving the youthful face a predatory expression, eliciting a cold shiver that ran down Cosima's spine.

"It doesn't work that way," she said, the German pressed by an accent Cosima couldn't place. The arm tucked around the man's elbow slipping free while still keeping Cosima from running away with the other hand.

"What do you want?" Cosima asked, an edge to her voice despite her uneasiness.

She had years of experience in the streets, and while she was never caught in the act, she had seen enough to know that any sign of weakness could mean the end of her. But the small woman didn't flinch, instead the subtle amusement in her eyes grew brighter, a smile stretching her lips wider and revealing sharp fangs. The man next to her appeared oblivious to what was happening around him, his eyes blank, as if in trance, never leaving the features of his company. Cosima's confused gaze danced momentarily between the two, finally settling on the far more attractive and captivating person, looking slightly down, lured by the impossible blue in the woman's eyes.

"You're a spirited one, aren't you?" The small woman teased in an alluring voice that wrapped around Cosima like smoke, licking her skin like the smoothest breeze of a summer afternoon.

Lace covered fingers reached her cheek, grazing her skin in a tender caress and Cosima remained still, unable to pull her eyes away from the glassy stare. Another shiver journeyed slowly along her back, but this time it was something much different, it was almost warm, nestling in her gut and awakening a yearning. The hairs on the back of her neck rising with the attention the piercing eyes were demanding of her.

Before she knew what was happening, Cosima was being pulled away from the crowd, the arm linked around hers unnecessary as her legs voluntarily carried her down the steps at an easy pace. In her daze, the brunette looked over her shoulder to the man who was so promptly abandoned and was blinking a few times, looking around himself as if waking from a deep slumber.

"Don't you worry about him," the mysterious woman next to her said, pulling her softly after Cosima's steps faltered briefly. "I'm sure he can find his way home."

They approached a carriage, two magnificently muscled animals harnessed to it, and a lean man, with a black long-coat and top hat that hid his features. At the sight of them, he jumped down with agility and quickly moved to open the door without so much as a word.

"Where are we going?" Cosima finally asked once the wooden wheels rolled them away, the polished stones on the road making the carriage bounce up and down.

The woman laughed. "My house, of course," she replied matter-of-factually.

"I didn't agree to that," Cosima said and despite knowing that she should be feeling annoyed, her tone was mild, tamed.

The laughter grew, ringing in Cosima's ears and filling the small cabin covered in a red velvet. "Oh my dear, you didn't have to."

Cosima frowned, confusion clouding her mind, but regardless of the increasing uneasiness, fleeing was something that never occurred to her. She sunk down more comfortably against the soft cushions, momentarily tearing her eyes away from the eyes that seemed to shine brighter the longer they were together and pulled the heavy curtain aside to peer out the window. They weren't going very fast, horseshoes clapping in an easy trot as they crossed streets weakly illuminated in a dull orange by the two lanterns of their coach. In some of the windows, where the people inside were still up, there was some light, but before long, as they left the city center, the streets became dark, houses of those who have to wake up at first light to keep the city running had no signs of life. Soon, they crossed through the city gates and that's when the horses really started to move. She heard the crack of the whip and a shout of encouragement from their driver before she released the curtain.

"You live outside the city," Cosima observed, turning her face to the woman who didn't seem to have taken her eyes off of her.

"I do," she answers causally.

"Alone?" Cosima raised a suspicious eyebrow.

The blonde smirked, the tip of her teeth creasing the voluptuous lips. "With family."

"Why are you taking me there?"

"I have something I want to show you." The answer was spoken in an alluring tone, while sparkling blue eyes journeyed the entire length of the brunette's body.

Cosima was far from innocent. In fact, she was quite experienced in all manners of what society called perversion. But she was always careful with the lovers she took, keeping her fleeting affairs away from judgmental eyes. From prostitutes to pure virgins, passing by unhappy married women, she had them all. She also heard about high society ladies, unsatisfied with their husbands that sought satisfaction with a female hand between their thighs or a soft tongue buried in their depths, even if she herself had yet to have that particular pleasure. But something was wrong with this scenario: the present company didn't seem to belong to neither of those categories. Cosima didn't know how, but she was fairly certain that the blonde was unmarried and had never found herself unsatisfied.

She had more questions than answers when the carriage stopped and the driver came down to open the small door. The imposing building came into view, sparsely illuminated by lanterns beside the massive double doors, the rest of the building a shadow in the moonlight. She had little time to take notice of the three story mansion, as the same man who drove them opened one of the oak doors and they moved inside, Cosima walking quickly to follow the other woman.

They reached a large room, richly decorated, the floor covered entirely by a fiery red and bright orange carpet. The paintings on the walls told stories of pagan gods in the most depraved situations, voluptuous women with lascivious stares and expressions of ecstasy. Two red sofas with wooden frames covered in gold foil surrounded a small table and a long chaise of the same color positioned under a large window. The curtain was pushed to the side, allowing the moon to enter the room.

Cosima was distracted from her observation by the small woman brushing past her, the fur collar slipping off her pale neck while she walked with slow steps to the center of the room. Looking at the brunette over her shoulder with a gaze not too different from the ones on the paintings, she dropped the article carelessly on one of the sofas. Cosima swallowed thickly at the sight of freshly revealed skin, her mind a fog as if she were dreaming. But she was wide awake, and the distinct pull in her gut was proof enough of that and yet, as she stepped closer to the small figure with the back turned to her, it was like she was watching someone else move.

"Who are you?" She heard herself ask.

The woman turned around, smirking and unsurprised by Cosima's proximity. "We'll have plenty of time for that," she cryptically replied with a purr, pulling each finger of her gloves methodically.

The gesture seemed simple enough and yet it was captivating; Cosima was completely mesmerized by every movement which revealed blood red painted nails. However, when one of these hands rose to cover her cheek, she stepped back and tip of fingers never made contact with flushed skin. With the distance she regained some of her wits. Cosima had years behind her of street smarts and that'd probably helped her not be fully ensnared by the demanding eyes casting an intense gaze upon her.

"So... this is your place?" She asked moving to the small table in a corner where several bottles of amber liquid along with a few crystal glasses were set.

"For now," came the answer with a hint of boredom. "I'm getting tired of Vienna, the same faces all the time, the same tedious entertainment. Perhaps Paris would suit me better," she continued, slowly getting closer to Cosima. "I hear France is about to get really exciting the next few decades."

Cosima hummed, not questioning the veracity of the statement or how relevant the destiny of a place so far away could be.

"Where is everyone?" Cosima asked, pursuing another line of inquiry, noticing the silence that encapsulated the rest of the house.

"Probably still out," the blonde answered with a shrug of her shoulders, giving it little importance.

Cosima didn't notice the casualness in the other woman, she was focused on pouring herself a drink, the rich aroma of the liquor so intense she could smell it just by opening the decanter's capsule.

"I don't want your taste tainted," the stranger said against the skin of her neck, her front firmly pressed to Cosima's back, her hand reaching for the glass the brunette was already bringing to her lips.

The softest lips she ever felt grazed along her flesh, while the hand covering hers guided the glass back to the table. She tried to turn around, but a surprisingly strong hand on her hip prevented her to do so, tugging at her body, increasing the press of their forms. Cosima's breath caught in her throat as she felt every delicious curve, every rise and fall of the mounds of the other woman's breasts pressing against her with every breath the blonde took against the skin of her neck. The hand on her hip descended while a thigh nudged her legs apart. Even through the barrier of her garments, the touch she felt on the most intimate part of her being ignited a fire inside her. Cosima groaned and tried to turn around again, only to be denied once more, the other hand occupied with pulling her wavy hair to the side, completely exposing her shoulder.

"I can give you a life you've never dreamed of," the sensual voice seemed to be born from inside her own mind and not from the mouth nibbling the soft flesh of her shoulder. "Give you answers to questions you never thought of asking, Cosima."

Cosima didn't remember when she mentioned her name, but her mind was so clouded in a haze of arousal that she didn't even bother to think about the repercussions of it. She only cared about how exciting it was to hear her name spoken amid promises she never asked for, with all her guard down, she was the one who covered the other woman's hand, pulling it closer to herself while her body shifted to seek a fuller contact.

The stranger chuckled at her eagerness, but pressed harder against her. "I can even teach you some patience," she goaded in a thick voice, "and give you all the time in the world to learn it."

Cosima whined when the hand slipped free from her weak grasp, fingers slowly rising the skirt of her dress and the other was moving along her torso until a breast was attended to with a firm squeeze. Once the fabric of the dress was out of the way, the mysterious woman didn't waste any time in sliding her hand under the waistband of the undergarment and to cup the warm flesh, a tongue darting out and licking slowly the length of Cosima's neck. The brunette groaned heavily, her knees almost giving up and only the arm around her chest prevented her from falling.

"I can give you a life without a care in the world, when you want something you can just take it," the enticing voice continued as fingers slipped between the folds of her sex, hearing a moan of appreciation when those same digits found slick arousal. "I can give you eternity," the woman said, pushing a finger inside slowly.

Cosima closed her eyes, her entire world was the fingers moving against her, pressing inside her, pumping in and out in an excruciatingly slow rhythm. And it was the hand that somehow found a way under the collar of her dress and was expertly caressing her breast, a thumb rolling around her nipple. Her breath hitched when the fingers inside gave a particularly strong thrust, curling into her depths and spawning more arousal.

"You just have to say yes," the voice was merely a whisper, but it resonated inside her like thunder.

She was teetering on the edge, the muscles of her abdomen tense but no release in sight. Cosima moved her body against the digits, searching for just the right amount of friction applied to just the right place, but every time she was close to succeeding, the other woman would change the position so the desired release was not achieved. Fingers moved out of her and journeyed along the entire sex with a possessive vigor and were pushed inside again, curling forcefully in a quick thrust.

"Say it!" It was a command now, the voice no longer a sensual whisper but a frustrated growl. "Say the word, Cosima, and I will give you everything you want."

"Yes..." She hears herself moan weakly, her body trapped within itself, ready to snap from the tension built too tightly inside her.

"Yes, what?" The same demanding tone, fingers completely still inside her.

"Yes, I want it!" She all but screamed, begging for release. "I want it all!"

"Good girl..."

The icy words sent her into a momentary state of panic, the hot blood turned to ice in her veins the moment she felt a harsh pain on her neck, she could feel the two punctures like pieces of ice piercing her flesh despite the flash of pain coursing through her body.

Her knees weakened, either from the blood leaving her body in steady gushes or the fingers pumping roughly inside her, and she convulsed, coming with a guttural howl - or was the sound coming from her attacker? She knew nothing in that moment but the need to escape the tight hold. It was impossible though, the grasp around her was too strong, keeping her in place with a vice grip, while at the same time preventing her from falling. Cosima had the weird impression that she was lifted in the air, that her body arched fully back to be supported entirely by the other woman, but that would be impossible, she's so frail, so tiny.

The fingers slipped out of her, and Cosima's weight was entirely anchored by the blonde. Her strength had completely abandoned her, and she was a lifeless doll in the stranger's arms, her neck lolling to the side after the attack was over. Her eyes barely opened when she was turned around, looking into the face before her, and she knew she had made a huge mistake. Ice blue eyes shone, seemingly possessing a light of their own as the creature licked the remains of blood, her blood, from exposed fangs. She tugged a corner of her mouth in a vicious grin even as the hand that came to cradle Cosima's cheek and keep her head up felt warm, soft, almost affectionately tender.

"I knew you'd be the right choice the moment I laid eyes on you months ago," the other woman said, pleased.

Cosima felt her senses leaving her, barely able to follow as a red nail sliced the skin of the top of a pale breast, a drop of blood sliding down the broken skin. The hand on the back of her head pulled her to the wound, Cosima's lips pressed against it. There was no movement from her lips, but the natural stream of the liquid made it taint her lips red, a few drops passing her lips and into her mouth. The moment her tongue registered the copper taste of blood, Cosima felt her strength return, different, more powerful than ever. From the brink of death, Cosima felt more alive than ever. Her muscles tensed suddenly, and her arms wrapped the small frame in front of her with a crushing hug, her throat starving for the blood pouring into her mouth, sucking eagerly.

Cosima growled, an animalistic sound drawn from her chest and with her new found strength she pushed the other woman back until they toppled over and dropped to the carpeted floor. Blinded by the bloodlust, she ignored the blonde's hands trying to push her away. Unsatisfied by the small amount of blood she could get from the small cut on the woman's breast, Cosima moved up her body, her teeth not yet fully formed into the new sharp shape, teared the skin of the neck beneath her.

"Cosima, stop!" The other woman shouted, but the demanding tone of her voice couldn't penetrate the whirling fever inside the brunette's mind.

She swallowed every drop of the liquid that poured from the wound, gushing into her mouth in a steady stream, the hands that tried to pull her away again were restrained by the wrists against the floor, effectively pinning the smaller woman down. The more she drank, the stronger she felt, every gulp going straight to her veins, increasing the power of the hold, the push of her body against the now weak form beneath her. Her thirst seemed endless, the more she drank the more she craved, and from some small part of her mind came the knowledge that she could very well drink her dry. The woman beneath her showed no sign of resistance, the body limp and still; the hands no longer struggling against her grasp and in that moment, thinking the stranger dead, Cosima rushed to take what little was left, her hands freed the grip on the blonde's and pull the small body to herself.

She had no idea how the other woman was still alive and strong enough to take the opening and push her away. Two hands against her chest sent her flying back against the floor violently.

Cosima opened her eyes wide as heavy pulls of air filled her lungs, the inhuman senses she now possessed taking in everything with a new and heightened awareness of all that surrounded her. The large room was filled with the smell of blood that somehow, after passing through her nasal canal, had become the most delicious scent. She licked her lips for the remains of the sticky liquid and caught her tongue on pointy fangs, finally fully formed. Her eyes landed on the woman still sprawled on the carpet. She didn't move at all but Cosima knew she was far from dead, she could hear the faint beat of a heart that she didn't think these sort of monsters possessed. In her mind, stories she'd heard whispered in fear of demons that roamed the night, on the prowl to satisfy their vile hunger.

She heard the other woman's laugh, weak and hoarse. "You'll soon find out that all that you've been told was fiction," the blonde said, raising slightly to support herself on one elbow while her other hand was pressed against the wound on her neck, blood slipping between the fingers and staining the expensive rug.

"What is this?" Cosima asked, looking down herself, bringing a tentative digit to run along her teeth. "Who are you?"

The small woman was starting to recover it seemed, getting to her feet. "We'll have several lifetimes for you to discover who I am, Cosima," she said, the teasing smile returning to her lips. "If you want to know my name, it's Shay," she was saying, drawing close to the brunette, "but that's hardly all I am."


	7. Sixth

Cosima drifted in and out of conscience all day, the early morning leaving a clinging laziness aided by the strong blunt she'd smoked. She had tried to stay awake with the help of a book after lunch, but she had barely finished a chapter before her eyes began to droop, and she was struggling to register what she was reading.

The images come to her first as if in a dream, out of focus and confusing, as if a thick fog is preventing her from seeing clearly. The evening is waning, and warm, human bodies move around her in the large street, paying no attention as her small frame passes between them. Her mind is cluttered with indistinct whispers coming from every direction; dark thoughts that don't belong to her. It's the taste of fresh blood on her tongue that snaps her awake, the beast inside her hissing at the memory of the nectar she has denied for so long.

She gets to her feet instantly, and blinks a few times as her small apartment recedes once more, and she concentrates. She sees the street, and recognizes it instantly as Delphine's. Like a silent, artistic film, the images sharpen, and the blonde doctor comes into view, walking a path that Cosima has become familiar with. Then suddenly, as if fast forwarding, Cosima sees the blonde being thrown into the air, eyes wide in shock, mouth agape, letting out a soundless, surprised scream that the vampire, still inside her own apartment, can't hear. In Cosima's mind thoughts of blood and violence shut down her own thoughts, but around her all is quiet, the only sound she hears is the loud buzz of the old refrigerator.

_It's a trap_ , her internal voice rages above the din. She watches Delphine being lifted from the ground by a hand around her neck; both of the doctor's hands clasping the wrist of the attacker in a futile attempt to free herself.

Cosima knows who it is, only one person has the ability to tap into her mind like that and invade her senses. Since Cosima's _rebirth_ , her sire could intrude upon the younger vampire's mind, sending her images, thoughts, sounds and even tastes. In the early years, before Cosima trained her mind, it had been futile to resist her sire, and it had taken nearly half a century to guard her own mind from Shay. Until then, whenever her sire had desired, Cosima's mind was an open book that she could read whenever she pleased.

Now, it is the only way Shay has to control her. Cosima had hoped that distancing herself would have weakened the link, lessening her capacity to apply such tricks. She had even dared to hope since Shay had been conspicuously absent the moment she'd left her family without looking back.

_Foolish!_

As she quickly puts on her shoes and races to the door, Cosima can't stop berating herself for being so foolish. Felix's warning had come too late and she only had herself to blame. She should've predicted this, Cosima thinks for what has to be the hundredth time since her old friend had come to her with his message. She was even more foolish to believe that Delphine would be safe once she'd stepped back after showing such keen interest in her. Cosima should've known that Shay wouldn't let it go so easily. During the more than two centuries Cosima had spent by her sire's side, she was more than aware of the other woman's determination, of her obsessive tendencies.

Outside, the streets are still packed with humans heading home for the day and Cosima does her best not to attract too much attention. She walks fast, but she doesn't run. Had it been fully dark she would've used the supernatural speed that remains within her from the days when her abilities haven't been dulled from the treatment.

It's irrelevant either way. Shay will wait for her, that's the whole point of this exercise. Delphine isn't prey. She's the bait.

* * *

 

Shay smiles, a pleased grin that raises a corner of her lips.

"Maybe you're not as important as I thought, she surely is taking her sweet time."

The vampire intentionally keeps her voice low, but the result isn't what she expected. This weak human has yet to show any sign of real fear... but, then again, she hasn't yet experienced the old vampire's real strength.

"You can never count on her to show up on time, right?" She comments, releasing a small chuckle, amused by her own joke.

The human doesn't respond or show any sort of reaction. The hazel eyes are dulled, almost bored as if this is nothing but a nuisance. This spikes Shay's anger; there's no fun when she can't smell the fear in her victims, the sweet scent invading her nostrils, or when she can't read the terror in their eyes. She has to resist the temptation of snapping the woman's neck, eager to see the life drain out of the insolent stare.

"In your position, I wouldn't be feeling so calm," Shay says good-naturedly, swallowing her fury. "After all, you will die today... is just a matter of time."

"If you were to kill me, you'd have done it already." The human doesn't flinch, giving no credence to the vampire's threat.

It increases her anger, the rage of the dangerous beast inside her sky rockets. She curls her left hand in a fist and sinks a dry blow to the doctor's stomach, not with all her strength, but enough to knock the wind out of her.

"You think I'm joking here? You think this is a game?!" Shay loosens her temper, as her eyes flush brightly with the promise of blood, her fangs fully exposed, ready for the kill.

The human tries to fold into herself, her breathing strained, hungry pulls of air made more difficult by the hand constricting her airways more firmly to keep her upright. She will lose consciousness soon and Shay no longer cares about her initial plan. Cosima will come to her just the same, even if the good doctor perishes.

* * *

 

Cosima abandons her calmer pace and begins to run. The vision of the events has stopped, her sire's anger burning inside Cosima's own chest indicates that the human still lurking inside Shay has been completely replaced by the beast eager for blood. And Cosima knows that the only thing predictable about the other vampire is her rage. Shay doesn't like to be challenged and it seems that the doctor, indifferent to this, is doing exactly that.

When Cosima finally reaches the dark alley, she's faced with the sight of the human floating above the ground, a hand choking her neck, weakly clutching at the strong arm of her assailant.

Shay has a sinister smile, the animal in full control of the situation, toying with her prey the way Shay enjoys before she applies the final, deadly blow.

"Took you long enough. No matter though, you're just in time..."

The low voice travels like an easy breeze until it reaches Cosima at the entry to the alley, her mind assessing the degree of danger the doctor is in. The hold must've relaxed when she arrived, since Delphine is able to turn her head slightly to see Cosima. The doctor's expression hardens at the sight of her patient, the eyes no longer dull, but glaring at the new arrival.

"What do you think you're doing, Shay?" Cosima asks with a calmness that she doesn't feel, ignoring Delphine's hostile stare along with its unexpectedness.

"What does it look like?" Shay responds in a singsong manner, entertained by the situation she created.

She's bluffing, Cosima knows this, but she decides to be safe. "Why don't you let her go so we can talk..." she coaxes maintaining her voice calm.

Shay smiles widely, but instead of assuaging Cosima's uneasiness, it only increases. Losing interest in Delphine for the moment, she shoves her against the iron fence and the doctor falls to the dirty pavement. Landing on her hand and knees, she coughs as her starved lungs bring air to her system.

Cosima takes a few steps in their direction, her eyes moving between the two women.

"Okay," she nods as she walks, "you have my attention. What do you..?"

Cosima stops abruptly as the smell of blood hits her, overpowering the smell of garbage emanating from the trash containers. She hisses and takes a step back. It's been too long since she last had contact with fresh blood and the scent immediately sparks the vampire's pleasure center. Her canines unsheathe and her vision blurs, only to focus on Shay's forearm, smudged crimson. Cosima knows instantly that it's Delphine's blood, but something is off. Even, if she's never smelled it before, she knows it's tainted, but the tartness is not enough to ease the craving. Whether it's due to her years of abstaining, or if it's the fact that it's Delphine's blood, she's unsure, but it takes every ounce of her considerable strength to keep from jumping the doctor who is still struggling to her feet.

"Curious, isn't it?" Shay's voice sounds distant, as if they're separated by a wall. "I was wondering if you were aware of this, but your reaction is answer enough."

Cosima refocuses her attention on her sire. "What do you want?" She asks between clenched jaws.

"Now, now..." Shay teases, wiggling an index finger from side to side. "That's not how we greet an old friend, is it?' she scorns playfully. "Have you forgotten your manners in so little time?"

"We're not exactly friends, are we?" Cosima says with an edge, her feet planted, unable to approach them.

"No, I guess we're not," the other vampire agrees amused, stepping closer to Cosima, her bait left, seemingly forgotten. "We are family, which is why it's time for you to come home."

Cosima laughs humorlessly. "If that's what you came here for, I'm afraid it was a wasted trip."

"C'mon now, Cosima. I gave you more than enough time to experiment," Shay sounds condescending. "I let you do your little thing. Socialize with these..." she glances over her shoulder at the human still recovering with a look of disgust on her face, "these pathetic humans long enough."

Cosima's attention is redirected to Delphine, finally on her feet but still supporting herself against the fence behind her, the healthy hand gently rubbing the sore flesh on her neck.

"What does she have to do with this?" Cosima asks, her chin tilting at the doctor.

"A means to an end." Shay shrugs. "I thought it was the best way to get your attention. I really don't know what you see in this weak thing, but it seemed like a good way to bring you to me," she continues, jabbing a finger over her shoulder.

"Leave her out if this, Shay!" Cosima makes her voice sound as threatening as possible. "If I see you near her again..."

Shay's laughter cuts her off. "Oh please... You were never a fighter Cosima and I doubt you'll start now."

"Stay away, Shay, I'm warning you!" Cosima snarls, fangs fully exposed, and musters her most menacing expression as she steps closer to the other vampire.

It doesn't stop Shay from continuing to laugh, if nothing else it only increases her amusement. "I doubt you'd want to start a war over this wretched...human, but okay." Shay raises both hands and walks around Cosima. "I'll leave you to it... for now."

Cosima's stare follows the smaller form until she reaches the end of the alley, not trusting her word.

"But, unless you've become stupid as well as housebroken," Shay throws out as if an afterthought, "you really should start to wonder where your _owner_ comes from."

Cosima frowns, watching her sire turn the corner and disappears. The vampire's expression softens as she turns her attention back to the doctor, who was eerily quiet during the entire exchange. Delphine's hardened expression meets Cosima's eyes, but it's a brief connection as she quickly drops her gaze to search for her discarded bag. She grabs it and roughly loops the strap over her shoulder as she begins to walk away without a word, avoiding Cosima and the confused expression on her face.

"Delphine..." Cosima calls as the doctor walks by her.

The blonde doesn't react, as if she hasn't heard the vampire, completely ignoring her. Cosima hesitates before reaching for Delphine's arm, the blood still pouring from the cut on the palm of Delphine's hand captures the vampire's attention for a brief moment, just enough to make her clench her jaw, her fangs achingly eager to satisfy the hunger building inside her. With a strong tug, Delphine pulls herself free and turns glares at the smaller woman.

"I'm sorry," Cosima tries in the softest voice she can muster, averting her eyes from the source of her lust. "This is..."

"This is on you!" Delphine retorts quickly, stopping only to point an accusing finger at the vampire.

"Hey! I came here to help you," Cosima replies, the annoyance caused by the effort to keep her hunger under control and the doctor's accusation apparent in her voice.

"I wouldn't need your help in the first place if you hadn't decided to stalk me." Anger flashes in Delphine's voice and she turns to leave again.

Cosima sighs, her irritation deflating with the truth of the other woman's words. "At least let me walk you home," she says, taking a few steps to follow. "I want to make sure you get home safely."

"I think you've done quite enough!" Delphine snaps at her, quickening her pace.

Cosima lets her go, deciding not to push, but only allows her to go a block or so before she quietly follows at a reasonable distance. Delphine might be upset and craving separation, but that doesn't mean she's safe. So Cosima observes her from afar as the doctor enters her building and stands there, watching to see if any of the windows light up, but five minutes pass without a change. Eventually she walks away, certain that if anything bad had happened she'd be able to at least hear. Besides, it's not likely Shay will return.

Not today.

* * *

 

Delphine enters her home, making sure the door is safely locked behind her. She ignores the light switch, the glow from the street lamps coming through the windows is enough for her to see as she places the bag on the couch on her way to the window. She's careful not to get too close to the window, and looks to the street and sure enough, she spots the vampire on the sidewalk, looking up at her building.

She watches as Cosima appears to be losing her patience, walking back and forth a few times. She's unsure whether she should be pleased or disturbed at the vampire's persistence to keep her safe. After all that's happened today, it might not be such a bad idea to keep her close, even if Cosima is responsible for the difficult position in which Delphine finds herself. Cosima's sire won't give up, they never do, unless you disrupt your entire life, and disappear without a trace. Perhaps this time will be different, she thinks, worrying her lip as her eyes follow the vampire's steps up and down the street. This creature's interest is not Delphine; it's Cosima she wants.

She releases a deep sigh when she sees Cosima finally walk away and pulls the curtain shut before she moves further into the apartment, and flips the switch to illuminate the room. She moves to the kitchen and grabs a washcloth that she uses to wrap around her wounded hand, the white fabric immediately turning bright red as it becomes soaked with blood.

Over the years, Delphine has become an expert in ignoring the thoughts that flood her mind. She's had to to keep herself sane. Delphine shuts down the voices screaming in her mind and walks to the bathroom. There she strips out of her clothes, carelessly leaving them scattered on the floor.

The water is as hot as she can stand, the stream almost painfully peppering her skin. Finally her mind is empty as she blankly stares at the water, pink with the blood from her slashed hand, circling around the drain before it disappears. The several scars marring her back protest angrily, but it's just another thing she's learned to ignore, knowing it's all in her head. They are too old to cause any real pain. Most of them are shapeless; the attack too frenzied, the attacker set loose on her too young - merely a newborn - to be able to really sink the fangs into flesh. Still, they ache and the memory of the attack comes back to her, a confusion of whimpers and cries for help that were unanswered for what felt like an eternity.

Delphine turns off the shower head and towels herself. Not bothering with clothes, she drops to the bed, the same washcloth wrapped around her hand still bleeding but much less, and she pulls the covers over her head.

She's too afraid to close her eyes.

Delphine doesn't sleep.


	8. Seventh

Cosima doesn't go home right away. Perhaps she should, she thinks as her steps guide her further away from her apartment. Maybe it's better to sleep it off and leave drastic decisions for another day. But the contempt in Delphine's face haunts her, burned into her mind, and she's obviously not thinking clearly. It's the wrong motive that steers her intentions, and perhaps she's just doing this to keep from considering all the possibilities behind the doctor's disdain.

The beast gnaws inside her, desperately trying to claw its way out. The scent of blood lingers, only an olfactory memory, but powerful enough to cloud her judgment. The vampire doesn't remember the last time her hunger was so strong - if ever. In the old days, she would've wasted no time satiating it and, once she started the treatment, there was the same determination within her helped her to keep it under control, her own will much more powerful than that of the animal's residing in her depths.

_Nightcrawler_ has a completely different atmosphere at night. The quietness Cosima witnessed in the morning has been replaced by boisterous laughter, loud voices, and a stifling warmth that one would have found unexpected, given the usual patrons. But the vampire knows the ambiance; has experienced it, and even contributed for it for many years before her somewhat self-imposed seclusion.

She surveys the room and smiles to herself when she notices her assumptions were correct. Still, she leaves the target of her attention in the corner booth, surrounded by two other male vampires and a human who will probably get more than what he bargained for. Felix's night is just starting, by the looks of it and Cosima prefers to deal with him once he's feed.

On her way to the bar, she spots Sarah, making a round through the tables and gives her a subtle head nod.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon." Siobhan approaches her the moment Cosima takes a stool at the bar. "Especially at such late hours."

"Thought to see who's around," Cosima answers, smiling. "It's never good to stay out of the loop for so long."

The werewolf narrows her bright eyes. "Don't go starting any problems around here, Cosima," she warns. "I'd hate to have to kick you out."

"Nah…" Cosima waves one of her hands. "No worries there."

Siobhan's suspicions don't disappear completely, but she relaxes a little and rests both her arms on the countertop. "What will it be?"

The glint the in other woman's eyes doesn't escape Cosima. The question, while simple, does carry big implications, especially in light of the vampire's visit earlier in the day. The club holds a vast selection of blood supplies that can be served to the customers upon request. Cosima was never a fan, despite the quality of said supplies and trusting the barkeeper; she always preferred to take directly from the source.

"Just a gin and tonic," Cosima says, placing a few bills on the counter, believing she could use the alcohol to loosen up the tension that returned to her body after the encounter with her sire.

The werewolf smiles and nods, turning around to start preparing the drink.

"Fucking bloodsuckers!" Sarah whispers angrily, sitting the tray violently against the dark wooden bar, next to Cosima.

"That's racist, you know," the vampire comments, containing her amusement.

"See if I care!" Sarah shoots, annoyed. "And you're not allowed to get all politically correct on me when you called my kind dogs only a few hours ago."

"It was a compliment," Cosima points out, grinning. "I love dogs!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Sarah pushes herself up the stool next to Cosima. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Cosima looks behind herself, noting Felix taking his human to the restroom. "Just seeing old friends."

Sarah looks in the same direction. "I'm glad we have a cleaning crew coming over every night after we close," she says. "I wouldn't want to clean the mess your old friend leaves in the bathroom stall every night."

Cosima raises a brow. " Any… incidents?"

"Not really," the other woman answers. "I mean… not the dead body variety. A few unconscious ones though."

"That's very sloppy."

The vampire is surprised to hear this. Shay was never exactly discreet, but she didn't tolerate actions that could lead back to her and everyone knows with whom Felix is associated.

"It has gotten worse since you left, that's for sure," Sarah tells her, stepping down from the seat once Siobhan has refilled her tray. "One of these days a disaster will happen."

"Well, if that day ever comes, they better take care of it themselves," Siobhan says, with her elbows back on the counter, having been listening to the conversation. "I certainly won't lie to the authorities on their behalf."

"It seems weird she would let him run free like that," the vampire thinks aloud.

"I don't even think she knows. Shay hardly comes here and I doubt anyone wants to tell her." The werewolf says.

Cosima hums, sipping her drink. "She doesn't take bad news very well."

Siobhan smiles and nods, leaving to take another order from a nearby customer.

No one approaches Cosima and she enjoys her drink in peace, while keeping an eye on the bathroom door for Felix to emerge. Not a single creature here is participating in the treatment, and she gets more than a few ugly glances in her direction, but they know better than to antagonize her. Her centuries have granted her respect, if not fear. Cosima knows how to defend herself, despite Shay's early assessment, she just doesn't like to have to do it. Even so, given the right circumstances, and even having her strengths diminished with the treatment, Cosima could very well overpower anyone in the bar.

It takes nearly twenty minutes before Felix finally returns to his table, practically carrying the human, uneasy in his steps. Her old friend seems satisfied enough, at least for now, smiling widely and talking loudly with his companions, the human almost unconscious, leaning his head on Felix's shoulder, but his hand slips to the prominent bulge between the vampire's legs.

Cosima rolls her eyes and doesn't hesitate to walk to the corner couch where they are. Felix's too out of sorts to notice her and she just stands there, looking down at him, quietly, waiting for him to turn his attention to her.

Eventually is one of the other vampires who looks at her with a frown. "Can I help you?"

"No, you can not." Cosima barely looks at the man who asked, her eyes steady on Felix, who, recognizing her voice, immediately sits up straighter. "Let's go." She says and instantly turns on the balls of her feet.

"Fuck her!" Someone from the table scorns. "You don't have to go anywhere!"

But Cosima knows her former friend, he doesn't have the backbone to challenge her and it's with no surprise that she hears him follow her out the back door and onto a side street.

"Why now?" She asks the moment they step outside, without turning to face him.

Felix doesn't answer her and when Cosima finally looks at him, she finds his head turned to the sky, eyes closed, apparently enjoying the breeze across his sweaty skin. He's still buzzed from the feed, clearly she underestimated the vigor of the scrawny human. She's on him in a fraction of a second, a hand on his neck, not to hurt him, but to intimidate him into sobriety.

"Why now, Felix?" She growls, short on patience.

"What are…fuck, Cosima?!" He screeches and recoils slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"She went after her, threatened her!" Cosima continues on an angry voice, shaking some sense into him.

"Who?" His eyes open wider, still glistering a deep blue.

"Shay!" She snarls. "She went after Delphine."

"The doctor?" He has the audacity of smiling. "Can't say I didn't warn you." He rubs his neck when Cosima drops him. "Did she kill her?"

"No," Cosima replies in a calmer tone. "That's not exactly what she had in mind."

"What then?"

"She wanted to get my attention." Cosima rolls her eyes and steps back.

"I'd venture she succeeded," he comments, some of his usual arrogance back. "What did she want?"

"She wants me to get back, what else?"

"Can't exactly say that surprises me." He leans back, one knee raises to support his foot against the wall, relaxed, searching his pockets until he pulls out a joint and lights it up. "Things have been rather chaotic since you left."

"That explains why you're being so careless in your… activities," she comments while accepting the smoke Felix extends to her. The younger vampire only shrugs and smiles, clearly not particularly concerned with her observation. "What doesn't makes sense is why now. It's been three years. Why has she decided take such active means to get me back?"

Felix remains quiet and doesn't meet her eyes. Something's not right. Cosima knows from the way he's avoiding her stare, he was always a terrible liar. What the older vampire also knows is that it won't take too much for him to crack under her pressure.

"Don't make me force you to speak, Felix!"

The threat is casual enough not to sound too demanding, but it's there and he looks at her sideways, perhaps to see if she'll follow through with it. Cosima hardens her stare, but has no intention to physically impose her superiority; not unless it's absolutely necessary. She feels spent, emotionally if not physically. The day has been too long, too weary for her to be able to ignore the tiredness clinging to her bones. She moves to lean on the wall next to Felix, taking a deep breath. Perhaps she was right all along, it would've been better to delay her investigation of sorts.

Felix has a contemplative look, smoking his joint and staring at the night sky.

"Even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't," he says just when Cosima was starting to believe she wouldn't get anything from him, not without forcing his hand. "I don't know enough. Everything has been pretty secretive. And you know she doesn't trust anyone these days."

Cosima looks at him and Felix continues without looking back, the same thoughtful expression in his flawless features.

"What do you know?"

He shrugs again. "There have been meetings," he says quietly. "Heads of the East coast families have been getting together."

"That's not necessarily anything new," Cosima says, remembering that back in her day, she would join Shay for such meetings. It was usual for the several covens to meet to socialize and trade information.

"Not this regularly," Felix explains. "Two, sometimes three times in a month.

"And Shay's always tense, especially right before the meetings," he continues. "She goes alone, you know… takes an escort for protection - new arrivals, mostly - but they stay at the door. And when she returns, she's even worse, snapping at everyone."

"When you say new arrivals, do you mean newborns?" Cosima asks, starting to feel restless about the information.

Ever since humans had imposed their laws, the number of fledglings had fallen dramatically. Even if it hadn't ceased completely, few would risk the life sentence it carries if caught. Vampires are tolerated, but expanding the species is strictly prohibited and severely punished.

"Something is going on, Cosima. Something big." Felix sounds incredibly sober, his eyes showing an ill-disguised fear. "And I don't think it's a good thing."

"Yes, probably not."

* * *

For the next few days, Delphine is obsessed with the scarf around her neck, constantly adjusting it to make sure it's properly covering the ugly, purple bruise left by Shay's grip. The cut on her hand is blamed on a self-inflicted cooking accident when Krystal asked her about it.

The doctor mentioned nothing of the attack, nor did she miss a single day of work, despite knowing that she needed it badly. But her staggering determination to carry on with the routine and appearance of professionalism takes precedence over her personal needs. It's irrelevant that she's barely sleeping at night, or that her brain is constantly screaming for rest.

She keeps herself busy, her mind occupied with work, as boring as it is and when she's at home, she reviews her personal notes, over and over again, until they become just words, devoid of any sense. Anything to keep herself from going back to the events that triggered contradicting feelings. One one hand, there is the knowledge she has gathered over the years has kept her out of harm's way, and now, this new and confusing thought that maybe she could find a willing ally in the other side of the camp. This is, of course, assuming Cosima's intentions are driven from something other than a meal, but that seems like such a long stretch that Delphine barely considers it.

On the other hand, the alluring vampire seems to have kept her word. The doctor no longer feels her presence, but there is someone there. Not Cosima, she doesn't believe, but Delphine still feels her movements tracked. Although she was never again accosted, whoever is following her has kept a distance. She doesn't even know which side is keeping tabs on her, vampires, DYAD or The Company. Maybe it's someone she doesn't even know.

On a night when she'd had too much to drink and not nearly enough to eat, Delphine wonders if she's going crazy, or just paranoid. Perhaps, so many years living on the run have finally caught up with her.

Two weeks after the attack, she's surprised to be summoned, without notice, to the top floor of the building, where the highest positions of DYAD have their offices. She's left waiting for a half an hour, sitting on an uncomfortable chair, staring at her own hands in her lap. The pretty, red headed secretary had glanced up only to mutter "please, have a seat" and then left her to wonder if she'd been discovered, and if so, what gave her away and what will they do to her.

Her concerns are not in the loss of a job - that's hardly on her mind -, but rather how will they silence her. She has no family and the only person who knows where she is is Ferdinand, and she knows better than to expect the man to look after her. Probably after a few days of silence from Delphine, his only problem will be to find someone else to take her place. Preferably someone more efficient.

When the redhead grants her permission to enter the corner office, Delphine is expecting the worst.

"Please, close the door and take a seat, Dr. Cormier."

The woman behind the desk is probably no more than ten years older than Delphine herself. Impeccably dressed in a navy blue blouse, a long ribbon over her chest subtly brings attention to her generous bosom. Long, dark brown hair, almost black, is perfectly groomed, the makeup is light and exudes a professional but approachable look. The top of the desk is an extension of the woman, everything in its place, none of the expected clutter.

"We still haven't met, I'm afraid," the woman says in a calm voice, "but I've been following your work with great interest."

"Thank you." Delphine nods, her sigh of relief saved for later. "Although I don't know how much interest it's worth. My work is rather routine."

"Quite right." The woman has a soft smile. "And I'm sorry about putting you through such a monotonous experience, especially considering the recommendations you came with," she continues in an easy tone. "But we had to take some precautionary measures, you see. We need to be sure that a person is trustworthy before we move them to more… sensitive fields."

"I understand completely." Delphine pastes a smile across her face, knowing when she needs to be charming and is certainly capable to rise to the occasion.

"Good! Unfortunately your predecessor proved to be unworthy of such trust, and I'm afraid you got the short end of the stick." The older woman waves her hands dismissively, shaking her concerns away. "But never mind that. I'm Marion Bowles and I lead one of our research projects here in DYAD."

"What sort of research?" Delphine asks, but she keeps her voice leveled, her anxiety under control.

"Well… in order to tell you that, it requires you to sign quite a few confidentiality agreements," Marion says, while she reaches for a few sheets of paper, neatly placed on the desk, next to the computer screen. "And that's why I called you here.

"I want you to join my team," she goes on, sliding the sheets in front of Delphine. "But you must know that this project is extremely sensitive and not for just anyone."

Marion stops, her expression, while calm, is unmistakably grave and Delphine has the feeling she's under severe scrutiny, being both analyzed and judged by the other woman, perhaps from the moment she'd walked into the office. She vaguely flips over the document, ignoring the fine print, Delphine doesn't hesitate to take the cap of the fountain pen that is conveniently within her reach. Only the arm extending and the perfectly manicured hand placed on top of the document makes her pause.

"There's no turning back from this, Dr. Cormier," Marion Bowles warns, but there's a glint of satisfaction in her gaze. "Are you sure you don't want some time to consider it?"

Quickly, Delphine signs the document and rests the pen on top of it. "No."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: next chapter will most likely take a little longer, since I've already caught up with the chapters I had worked beforehand. However, I'm already working on it, so it should come next week, just a little later.  
> I'd also like to take the opportunity to give a shout out to my beta, Cophine, who has been lending me her awesome talent. And CJ, for the help that always comes from our brainstorms :D


	9. Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plot, plot, plot… This chapter is all about the bigger picture. Also, the science here is a little iffy, at best, but this is a story about vampires after all, so...

Delphine is quiet as she and Marion ride the elevator down to the high security area and cross an empty, gray corridor with no other doors, save one at the far end. At Marion's encouragement, the young doctor swipes her new security ID, and a low blip and a green light grant approval as the massive stainless steel door slides open with a surprisingly quiet swish. She gasps as they step onto the high platform.

Delphine expected it to be big. Just not that big. Below is a wide open area so vast, that one could easily fit a commercial plane in it. Everything is white: walls, ceiling, floor, even the desks and chairs, creating the illusion that the space is endless. Translucent panels form a sort of maze that inevitably leads to several labs, granting them some privacy, presumably separating the areas where different projects are developed. She counts at least twenty scientists in sky-blue lab coats like the one she's wearing now, but she has no way of knowing how many people are really involved. On the opposite wall, there's a giant screen with a map of the greater New York City area, and under the screen, sit several desks with what appears to be a computer station that Delphine thinks must be a control room of sorts.

"It's quite intimidating, isn't it?" Marion says after giving the other woman some time to take it in.

Delphine looks at the woman by her side and stretches a smile. "Very much so."

"We are over there." A arm, now covered in the green lab coat reserved for the heads of the projects, extends to indicate an area on the top left corner. "I expect that in the first few days you'll feel a bit overwhelmed, but I want you to come to me with any problems," she continues in a calmly manner, exuding trust in every word she speaks. "Your adaptation will be much faster and smoother if we address your questions at once. You understand that, right, Delphine?"

The woman has taken to calling her by her first name, and the blonde doesn't bother to correct her, knowing that the more comfortable her superior is with her, the faster she'll gain her trust. And so, she nods, the same affable smile on her face as she follows Marion down the metal steps and along the labyrinth until they reach the space Marion had indicated.

Closer to the large screen, Delphine can see that hundreds of green dots blink on the map. "What's that?" She asks, standing before the map and looking up, unable to contain her curiosity.

"We track our subjects," Marion answers with a shrug of her shoulders, stopping briefly next to Delphine to glance at the map, then immediately resumes her course. "The small identification chips we implanted under their skin also has a GPS. Of course there are too many to really target each of them, but we've learned their routines, and the system informs us whenever one strays too far from it."

Delphine's heart starts to hammer in her chest and she's startled when a door she hadn't notice opens. A middle age man in a brown lab coat emerges and eyes her top to bottom. When she turns back to Marion, the other woman is already on the move and Delphine hurries to catch up. Struggling to keep her voice calm, she asks the next question as naturally as she can. "How so? Does it warn you every time they take a different path?"

Marion laughs. "Well... we tried that and it worked in the beginning when we only had a few dozens to focus on. But now... that's impossible. We set an array of action and if they detour by more than a few miles, we are alerted."

She talks as they stand in the middle of the lab - and it is a lab, despite the absence of real walls, being surrounded by glass dividers. There are four desks, each equipped with a powerful microscope, but with room to work. One larger desk has several pieces of equipment used for blood analysis and another, smaller one only has what appears to be a few lab reports, neatly organized in several folders. It's behind this desk that Marion sits and folds her arms on top of it.

"Nowadays we use it mainly to locate a particular individual when we believe it might be causing trouble. But that's someone else's problem," she finishes with a warming smile and extends a hand. "Please, take a chair from one of the other desks and sit."

Delphine frowns as she turns to find a seat and drags it to sit across from Marion. When she looks at the older woman again the pleasant smile is back on her face.

"Here, our focus is not security," Marion resumes her speech as Delphine takes a seat. "Our concerns are much less... mundane."

The blonde crosses her legs and leans back in the chair, tilting an eyebrow. "Such as..?" She asks, instinctively knowing her line in this carefully planned conversation.

"As you know, DYAD works under government contract," Marion says and now she's no longer smiling, her expression takes a more serious note, even if not a little unfriendly. "Now, you are too young to remember, but when the existence of vampires and lycans became public knowledge, it was complete chaos. No one knew what to do about it. Of course, there were those who called for their extermination - quite a distasteful bunch, if you ask me - but the solution couldn't exactly be what some would call genocide. The first priority became determining their numbers and go from there. DYAD was front and center in the study of these new species, and the government came to us, requesting our help to find a solution to this problem," Marion continues in a well rehearsed speech. "Once we started the voluntarily identification process, they asked us to begin developing some sort of treatment and after years of research, we've achieved what we now have."

"But it's not enough..." Delphine says, meeting the other woman's eyes head on, even going as far as showing a little smile.

Marion returns it. "Not nearly. The current inoculations are good, giving the patients a new outlook on life, the possibility to reintegrate society with minor mishaps, while, at the same time, we get to somewhat control them. But they have too many shortcomings. The effect is temporary; if a subject stops treatment, their genetic alterations return within months, maybe weeks, depending on how long they've been taking them and how long they've been infected. And we can't exactly do anything about it, since the program is voluntary.

"We tried to track down some of the defectors, but one of the first things they do is remove the chip," she goes on. "Some of the teams here are working on making sure the effect lasts longer, but the virus is quite resilient. Others are trying to assure that the number of subjects who leave the program is reduced to a much narrower margin and they've been somewhat successful."

Delphine knits her brows and shifts uncomfortably on the chair. "And how did they manage that?"

"We're constantly manipulating the formula," Marion explains. "Our most recent adaptation was to create some discomfort when the patient takes too long between shots."

"They're addictive." Delphine concludes in a matter-of-factually manner, keeping her thoughts well out of the other woman's reach.

"You can say that, yes!" Marion is smiling, but the blonde can sense some tension in her voice. "Does this bother you, Delphine?" She's upfront about it.

"I think ideally the treatment should be voluntarily administered," Delphine answers in a thoughtful way. "But it's in everyone's best interest that the treatment is conducted within its parameters, any deviation is damaging not only to our research but to the subjects themselves." She's analytical about it, letting the scientist come to surface, pragmatism is her best friend in this situation.

"Good! I'm glad you see it that way." Marion nods, the suspicion in her stare not completely eradicated. "Either way, that's not what we're working on in this particular team."

Delphine nods as well, encouraging the other woman to continue.

"Another concern of the government is to contain the virus," Marion informs her. "As I'm sure you're aware, some laws have been put in place to discourage its propagation. Unfortunately they've been proven insufficient. Their numbers continue to rise, although at a much slower pace, and we can only do so much. Laws are only effective until a certain point, and if one of them is insistent on spreading the species, a life in jail is not dissuasive enough, especially if they believe they won't get caught."

Delphine remains silent, she only continues to nod her agreement, wondering where this conversation will lead.

"And this is where we step in!" Marion raises both her arms taking in the room where they sit. "Our job is to find a solution to this problem."

"Through the treatment?" Delphine asks, even if her mind has already worked some of it out.

"Like I said, we're always working with the formula," Marion repeats, eyes steady on the blonde. "We don't want our patients to propagate a virus we're trying to fight off. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure they don't."

"Some sort of compulsory sterilization." Delphine bluntly states what Marion's been tiptoeing around. "You want the vaccines to work so they won't be able to turn any more humans."

"Not us, Delphine. The government. We just do what they ask of us," Marion corrects her and takes a long pause, carefully studying the younger scientist, analyzing her reaction and when it appears she had cast her judgement, she leans against the back of the chair, placing her arms on the armrest. "I can see you're having a issue with this and, if that's the case, then we have a problem."

Delphine meets the other woman's eyes steadily and wills her body to maintain a relaxed posture. "Dr. Bowles I think you overestimate my empathy with these creatures," she starts in a serene voice. 'While I certainly do not advocate their extermination, I see no real purpose on the unlimited extent of the species. Their genetic abnormality needs to be contained and if they don't have the restraint to do it themselves, we should do it for them."

Marion raises a brow, still doubtful about the veracity of Delphine's statement. "Even if it's done without their consent or knowledge?"

"I don't see any other way!" Delphine shrugs. "Is it ethically questionable? Yes, absolutely. But, unfortunately, it is also necessary."

Delphine's voice never wavers, nor does her mind hesitate to ponder her words. After all, she once thought this way, when she was younger and hatred was all she saw, her heart filled with a sense of vengeance. With maturity came a different way of thinking. It was gradual, but the process of accepting her new reality eventually changed her. No, this is not how she thinks now, but it was her philosophy in the past and maybe that's the reason why her words come out so naturally, so effortlessly.

"How close are we to achieving that?" Delphine asks, intentionally counting herself among them.

Her words are met with a small spark in Marion's dark eyes, the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. "Not very, I'm afraid." And she's back to her soft, inviting manners. "We were able to identify the genetic flaw that when transmitted causes the mutation," she explains, reaching for a drawer on her side of the desk and taking out a stack of papers. "We were even successful in isolating it and remove it, but the consequences..." At this she stops and slides the reports in Delphine's direction.

They're silent for long minutes while Delphine goes over the heavily redacted reports. Anything that could identify the subject is censured, her new clearance still apparently only gives her access to the procedure itself. They're not so much reports as they are journals on the evolution of the new experimental treatment. Subjects are injected with a substance that destroys their ability to spread the virus and, according to what she reads, in no more than two weeks the treatment is effective, but only temporary. The vaccination has to be administered every other week. Of course, this is the least of their problems.

Within a month and a half to two months (this varies on every subject) their mental capabilities start to deteriorate. Five months into the treatment  _the subject has lost the capacity for rational thought; its thought processes resemble that of an animal_  - she reads.

Slowly, Delphine puts down the reports, an iron fist clenches around her heart and bile rises to her throat. The only thing that keeps her calm is her determination, her goal. If she falters now, all would be lost, everything she's worked for would crumble like a house of cards blown away by the softest wind.

"How long have you been working on this?" Delphine asks in a voice so calm that manages to surprise even herself.

"Going on two years," Marion answers, and she's again incredibly attentive to the younger scientist's reaction. "We started the subjects trials eight months ago."

"If this is their response to the treatment, it's because either the isolation is not correct, or the removal is not done properly," Delphine replies and she's back to be as analytical as possible, any sort of emotional reaction will be immediately picked up by her boss, of that she's sure.

"That's a good way for you to start, going back to basics." Marion seems pleased, reaching for the reports and storing them back in the same drawer. "But that starts tomorrow. Today I want you to go home and study these." She slides the several folders that have been waiting on top of the desk. "It details all our procedures so far and I need you to be familiar with them."

Delphine takes the files and stands up when she sees the other woman doing the same. With her right hand she accepts the handshake extended to her.

"We're a family here, Delphine," Marion says, while they shake hands. "I'm very pleased to welcome a new member to it."

Delphine stops in her former office before she leaves, taking the few possessions she had in there. No signs of Krystal, and she's slightly disappointed that she doesn't have the opportunity to say goodbye to her assistant. Even if they still work in the same building, the doctor suspects she won't be seeing much of the perky blonde. She wonders what will happen to her patients; probably redirected to another doctor. Cosima briefly enters her mind and somehow she  _knows_  the vampire won't be happy with the change.

Most of all Delphine wonders what will become of her. In a moment of doubt, she wonders if, in order to get what she wants, the price she has to pay is her soul.


	10. Ninth

After Cosima, Felix went back inside, his buzz completely gone and nagged by his old friend's words. He's thoughtful when he sits down, and the young man who so willingly provided his earlier meal leans back against him, a hand slipping up Felix's thigh in an attempt to arouse his attention again. But the vampire is not in the mood and, with a swat of his wrist, pulls the hand away. The boy easily bends to his will, but continues to support himself against the lean body. Felix tries to recover his previous disposition, but can't, the conversation with Cosima replaying in his head doesn't allow him to relax and enjoy the rest of the night.

Frustrated, he gives up, leaving his companions and his meal behind without so much as a word. By the usual standards, Felix has already earned the right to be rude when he wants. Approaching a century of existence, there aren't many he feels obligated to treat with reverence. Most vampires don't make it past the first twenty years, and he probably wouldn't have. If not for Cosima, he would have found a way to die in his first five. The transformation brings an unimaginable power and, when one is young and stupid enough, it can so bring a false sense of security, the belief of invincibility. In many ways life is more dangerous right after the transformation, and instead of extending the life span, it tends to shorten it dramatically for many.

Shay found Felix roaming the dark streets of London in the early twenties of the previous century, but Cosima was his real sire. She was the one who showed him the ins and outs of his new existence; keeping him from running wild as a young vampire, consumed by the bloodlust and captive by the intensity the feeding provides. She taught him how to feed without taking a life and the importance of living among humans without raising suspicion. That life is better without leaving a trail of bodies in his awake. That his charm is enough to score a voluntary meal instead of using his newly gained strength. Meanwhile, Shay ran the coven with an iron fist, disguised as family love.

When Cosima left them, Felix was tempted to go with her, but perhaps she had done too good a job in introducing him to this life. Truth is, he loved it too much and was reluctant to leave it behind in favor of an uncertain and much less exciting existence. Add Shay's loud disapproval of the change, and he had chosen to remain.

For the first two years Felix thought he had made the right decision. With Cosima gone, he had taken her place at Shay's side. Even if he knew he could never fill Cosima's shoes, he believed he had been doing well enough. But five months ago, that all changed. Shay was slowly casting him aside and is surrounding herself with new and inexperienced vampires. Gradually he has been left out of important decisions and no longer had his place at the main table. Despite his loss of importance, Felix had maintained the same amount of obligations, such as babysitting the new arrivals like the two he just left at the bar.

Felix is highly discontented with this new arrangement, and that's probably why he's second guessing himself and the choice he made.

At the gate of the large townhouse, the two guards hardly look at him. Felix is well known even if he barely recognizes anyone anymore. The house is almost empty, save for a couple of inhabitants casually hanging out in the great living room. The night is young after all, and the hunting ground is at its best when the club's start to throw out the drunken patrons onto the street and straight into the expectant arms of hungry creatures. Besides, it's a new moon and highly unlikely to find any sort of competition in the few werewolves that still look for prey.

At least their species have been adjusting much better to this new world than the lycans, whose presence in the night has been increasingly lower, their numbers visibly thinning. Felix had mentioned this as an afterthought to Shay, but she had dismissed him quickly: "better for us", she had said and that was the end of the conversation.

She seems to be out, the door to her office left ajar and he stops to look inside, tempted to go in and ease his curiosity, but ultimately decides against it. The two vampires in the great hall eye him suspiciously and he knows he couldn't make it without it coming to Shay's attention.

Still, the idea is there. Cosima had always been great in planting the seed of curiosity in his mind, make him think and question his certainties. A plan starts to form.

* * *

Cosima never thought she'd regret her decision and, in fact, it's not the decision of leaving she regrets, but all the doors it has shut. Apparently, what some consider turning her back on her people is not a good step if one needs information. All her attempts to get in touch with her former contacts were met with nothing but silence. For the past week she has been trying to collect information about the unusual maneuvers of the vampire elders, but has been wholly unsuccessful. The problem with this, aside from the obvious, is that Cosima doesn't even know why she has been shut down: is it only because of her downgraded status, or because whatever is going on is so secretive that no one dares to whisper a word about it.

She could certainly pursue the information with a more... aggressive approach, but that's not the best way to get information without attracting unwanted attention to her activities. And yet, despite knowing this, she's on the brink of resorting to such methods. The silence is leaving her uneasy, the feeling that something is terribly wrong mounts inside her and she's unable to shake it off.

This annoys her immensely and it's not just the lack of information. She had abandoned her family and never looked back for a reason. Shay's constant demands had been wearing her down, and the feelings Cosima once held for her sire had long vanished, the luster evaporating in the span of a mere decade. Looking back, Cosima is actually surprised it lasted that long. Perhaps it's the hold a sire always has on its creation, or the novelty of it all, or the appreciation for the life Shay had given her. Cosima probably would've ended up hanged in her early thirties if it wasn't for Shay. If she weren't caught for her professional activities, her personal life would've guided her to the gallows to put a noose around her little neck. For whatever reason, Cosima stayed until she could no longer breath freely, her only solace the family she found along the way.

However, when she decided to leave it was an irreversible decision. She wanted to get away from Shay, yes, but also from the politics involved in the community. Cosima's age had granted her an authority she'd never wanted and didn't feel comfortable with. To find herself in a web of politics she hated so much and not be able to wiggle her way out of it is highly discouraging.

This is why Cosima is seriously considering taking more drastic measures when help knocks on her door.

"Go away, Alison!" She says loudly, assuming her neighbor had returned with another batch of her lasagna.

"Who the fuck is Alison?!"

The male voice launches her from the couch where she was stretched with a forgotten book in her hands, heading quickly to the door.

"Felix! What the hell are you doing here?!" She asks completely baffled.

"It's your fault for getting me to think about the shit that's going on," he comments, stepping inside and immediately sitting on the couch.

"Terribly sorry about that," Cosima says sarcastically, shutting the door and turning to face him.

"You don't happen to have anything to drink in this hole of yours, would you?" He asks, scanning the small apartment with an expression of slight disdain.

Cosima frowns, but goes to the kitchen counter to procure a bottle of red wine that she opens and pours into two glasses.

"I meant something strong!" Felix points out, glaring at the glass extended his way.

Cosima doesn't respond, only gives him an exasperated look that the younger vampire knows too well. He twists his lips but take the glass and Cosima sits next to him, patiently waiting until Felix downs the entire content and shakes the glass in his hand, asking for a refill. With his wish granted, he takes a much smaller sip this time and relaxes against the soft cushions.

"Here's the thing," he starts, eyes straight ahead, looking at nothing in specific. "I think you had the right idea when you got worried about what I told you."

"Obviously!" Cosima sits next to him again and takes a small sip of her glass.

"Yeah... right." Felix smiles and looks at her. "So, I thought about what I can do to help."

"Help with what?" Cosima replies. "I never asked you for anything."

She's annoyed, feeling herself being sucked into something she didn't ask for. She's worried about it, yes, but that doesn't mean she wants to be involved in it; she just wants to know what is going on, that's all.

"You think whatever is happening won't affect you!" Felix grows serious, seemingly reading Cosima's mind. "Just because you said you don't want to be part of the family you think you're safe?"

"There's no reason why that shouldn't be true," she remarks. "I'm out! Why should I want to get involved in all this mess?"

"And you think she'll let you?" The young vampire counters. "After what happened to your lady doctor?"

Cosima shifts uncomfortably on the couch, her friend's words stir something inside her that feels vaguely like anger and the beast inside snarls at the memory. Felix smirks, Cosima's reaction doesn't go unnoticed and he knows he's on the right track.

"If Shay wants you in the fold she'll get you... one way or another." He starts with confidence. "You think she'll stop at that if she doesn't get what she wants? Her first attempt to get you back didn't work, so she's giving up? You know her better than that!" He pushes his argument, leaned on the couch facing her, the hand holding the glass resting on the headrest, while he gesticulates with the other in energetic movements that remind Cosima how much of herself she can see in him if she bothers to look. "What she did to the doctor is nothing compared to what she can actually do if she puts her mind to it."

"You think I don't know that?" Cosima snaps. "I know how she is... better than you, better than anyone I imagine. Why do you think I want nothing to do with Shay?"

"She'll force your hand if she has to, Cosima," Felix says in a softer tone. "Do you really want to find out how far she's willing to go?"

Cosima sits very still, considering her options, only to realize she doesn't have a choice at all. Her old friend is right: if Shay wants her, nothing will stop her. And if the first try at getting Cosima back is anything to go by, then it won't be Cosima who will suffer the consequences of her refusal. Despite not knowing how far she can trust Delphine - or if she can trust her at all - it wouldn't be fair to the young doctor to be used as leverage between Cosima and her sire. Especially when Delphine did nothing to find herself in that position, it was all Cosima's doing. She's the one responsible for it so, naturally, she's the one who has to fix it.

"Fine!" Cosima hesitantly concedes. "What do you have in mind?"

Felix's smile returns, his fangs showing just barely their full potential. "I thought about getting some information from Shay's office, but I couldn't get in without raising suspension," he says. "But I know there's a meeting tonight and I thought we could follow them."

"And what will that tells us?" Cosima looks dubiously at him. "We don't need to know where they're meeting; we need to know what's going on  _inside_ the meetings. What are they discussing? What the hell is going on that has everyone so nervous?"

Felix scolds. "Well... do you have a better idea?"

Cosima smirks. "As a matter of fact..."

* * *

"I'm not sure about this," the nervous vampire whispers.

The three of them are inside the car, Cosima at the steering wheel, even if the car belongs to Alison, who reluctantly agreed to come with them and is currently a heap of nerves staring at the door of the townhouse at the end of the street. It's a massive corner building, in the old part of town, constructed soon after the end of the Civil War when New York started to attract big investments. Shay likes her houses with history and when money is no object, she's free to indulge in the good things life has to offer.

Cosima knows the great house well, having lived there for almost twenty years when the family left Europe. She knows the art pieces that decorate the walls, the rich furniture that was shipped from all over the world to satisfy her sire's expensive taste. Mostly Cosima remembers how she felt confined during the second leg of her stay in the great mansion, how stifling every day was to her.

"I'm with her on this," Felix offers from the front seat, next to her. "No way she's gonna make it." He jams his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the woman in the back seat.

"She's the only one who can get close without being recognized," Cosima says to Felix before she takes her eyes off the building and turns around in her seat. "You can do it, Alison. You just need to stay calm." Cosima tries to assure her. "We'll be watching your every move."

"And if they decide to attack that's all you'll be able to do; watch!" Alison replies, her uneasy stare not leaving the black, wooden door. "Even if you were able to get to me in time, what can you do? There's only two of you and... how many of them?" Finally looks at Felix.

"Not many actually," the man answers. "Shay never takes a big party with her, three maybe four."

Cosima hums and nods. "She doesn't want to attract much attention to her," she comments. "Besides, they're young, right?" She asks, looking for Felix's confirmation, which comes nearly instantly. "You can either be safe or you can be discreet. Shay choose the latter, which is another reason why I don't like this in the least."

"And yet you don't hesitate to throw me to the wolves," Alison protests, crossing her arms over the chest and leaning heavily against the seat.

"I'm not..." Cosima huffs, and takes a deep calming breath. "Listen, you just go as far as you're comfortable. If anything starts to feel wrong, you get out, okay?"

"Great!" Felix throws his arms in the air dramatically. "That way she won't leave the damn car."

Alison gives him an ugly look but ignores his words. "And how do you expect me to convince them to take me inside?"

Cosima smirks. "You're a beautiful woman," she notes to Alison's disbelief. "I'm sure you can find a way in."

Felix's laugh fills the small car and Alison's face contorts with indignation.

"You don't expect me to..." She starts to protest again, but goes silent when her eyes catch the movement down the street.

"Look at these fools!" Felix says, watching three big men step outside, followed by Shay. "Getting out before the car is even there."

Cosima agrees with his assessment but remains quiet. An anger burns in her chest at the sight of her sire, waiting on the sidewalk as a big, shining, black SUV turns the corner and stops in front of them. She starts the engine but doesn't turn on the headlights, instead she waits for them to enter the big car; one of them opens the back door, looking around and waiting for Shay to step inside before he follows her, the other two go in the front.

Cosima can feel the tension in the car as if it had gained a corporeal form. Her eyes are steady on the car rolling at a moderated speed ahead, mindful about keeping a good distance but not so much as to lose sight of them. No one says a word during the twenty minute drive and when Cosima cuts the engine at the end of the block where the SUV has parked no one makes a move.

"Shouldn't you park closer?" Alison says after a few minutes of silence where they watched Shay go inside with one of the men, while the other two stay by the car.

"I can't risk them spotting us," Cosima says, but at this point not even she's feeling very confident about this plan.

Apparently the meeting is being held at an hotel and this is something new. In Cosima's days, the families took turns hosting the meetings in their official residence. Besides this hotel is far from being a tourist reference, the place is a vampires' only business, like many across the city. Owned and operated by vampires with only vampires as guests. It's not unusual and, as far as she knows, it has always existed.

"It would be useful to know if the meetings are always held here or if they change venue every time," Cosima think aloud, in her mind a different plan starts to grow.

In a way it makes it easier, they don't need excuses to gain access into the building. Alison could easily pose as a customer, looking for a safe place to rest for the day. But, on the other hand, the level of danger increases. These sort of places are used by loners, vampires with no affiliation who roam from city to city with little or no respect for both human law and vampires customs.

With her hands gripping the wheel tightly, Cosima feels divided. It would be much easier to make a decision that wouldn't put others at risk, she'd go inside herself without hesitation, even Felix going in there would give her more comfort - she knows when needed he can hold his own, but that's out of the question. She or Felix would be instantly recognized, which only leaves Alison.

Cosima takes a deep breath and turns around to face the other woman. "You could get in and act like a guest," she starts slowly.

"I can do that," Alison answers, nodding her head a few times.

The older vampire smiles sadly, finding small consolation in the knowledge that, at least, Alison is willing to make an effort. Unfortunately Cosima can't accept it without giving her all the information she has on these sort of places.

"I won't lie to you, Alison, this is not like the Four Seasons," Cosima says and sees Alison's expression growing more concerned. "The type of clients these places attract aren't exactly recommended. They don't ask for ID, you know, the vampires who usually stay here… well, let's just say that given the opportunity and with the right incentive they'll snap anyone's neck."

"Holy shit, Cosima!" Felix interrupts loudly. "Do you want her to go in or not?"

"Of course I want her to get in, Felix!" Cosima rolls her eyes at her old friend. "But she has to know what she's getting herself into."

"Would you be waiting here until I come out?" Alison's question interrupts them.

"Yes!" Cosima's surprised by the other woman's readiness but doesn't hesitate. "You'd get in, get a room for the day and try to learn as much as possible without being too obvious."

"And how would she do that?" Felix asks, sounding calmer.

"Sit at the bar. My guess is that's where the guards will be." Cosima instructs, her stare steady on Alison. "But don't engage in any sort of conversation with anyone. Keep to yourself and if you so much as suspect someone is onto you, leave. Get in the room and call me. If nothing comes of this we can try next time." She stops and looks at Felix. "You'll tell us if you find out when is the next meeting, right?"

"May as well!" He agrees.

"Right!" Cosima repeats conclusively. "Next time we'll be better prepared."

"And you want me to stay all day?" Alison asks.

"It's better. We don't want you walking out in the middle of the day and have people asking questions."

"Little problem with your plan, Cosima," Felix cuts in. "You'll be sitting next to a fucking pile of ashes if I stay here with you."

"Shit!" The old vampire can't help the small smile. "Then I guess you should leave before sunrise."

"By foot?!" He raises his voice.

Cosima shrugs him off and returns her attention to the backseat. "You don't have to do this, Alison," she assures very slowly. "This is not your fight and I completely understand if you want to stay out of it."

Alison sits quiet for a long time, so long, in fact, that Cosima thinks she has lost her.

"I can do it!" Alison says with surprising determination. "You saved my life Cosima, if it wasn't for you I don't know what would've happened to me. I owe you this."

Even if Cosima wanted to try to change the younger vampire's mind, Alison never gives her the chance. After speaking the words, she leaves the car without warning, Cosima and Felix can only watch her walk down the sidewalk, steady strides, pulling the strap of her purse over her shoulder and with her head held high. The two astonished vampires in the car stare as Alison passes by the guards without missing a step, not even a glance their way and pushes the glass doors to disappear inside the building.

"This is going to be a disaster," Felix predicts rather somberly.

Cosima smirks. "She might surprise you."


	11. Tenth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I haven't updated this story for a while, but I was a bit blocked about how to handle the first part of it. Anyway, sorry for that. Next chapter should come much faster.

Alison does her best to hide her anxiety; keeping her steps steady, and being extra careful not to fall into the nervous, little strides that affect her walking in tense occasions. With her eyes locked on her destination, the front desk, Alison avoids looking at any other of the few patrons who are in the lobby.

"Good evening," she says in a tight voice. "I'd like a room for today."

The vampire at the reception is young and looks like it - he must have been barely twenty when turned - but working in a place such as this has improved his shrewdness, and he eyes Alison top to bottom, a curious brow raised. "And that would be a single or a double?" His lips stretch in a sly grin, his mind probably already jumping to conclusions.

"Single, please." Alison's voice falters a little, her confidence wavers slightly.

Still, the young man doesn't give her any indication that she's not welcome, he simply slides a large book in front of her and opens it onto page marked with a pen and points at the small dash following the number 12. "Your name," he instructs in a bored voice, before he turns around to get a key from the shelf behind him. "You'll need to pay upfront," he continues in the same tone. "Thirty two a day."

Alison signs the guest book with the first name that comes to mind, it's not like they're going to ask her to confirm the identity. This place is old school, withstanding the passage of time and all the modernization that came with it, because the patrons want it so and because the authorities don't care. The vampire community represents an entire parallel economy that the human government wouldn't dare touch; this is still the only aspect of the vampires' rules that have survived civilian institutions meddling.

"Alright..." the man looks down and reads the name, "Felicia, second floor for you. Bar's open 24 hours, pay at the counter. Got it?"

"Thank you," she replies quickly, snatching the key he left at her disposal on the desk, while dropping 35 dollars on the counter, not waiting for the change.

She pulls the strap of her purse and spins around. There's no elevator and she has to climb narrow, poorly lit stairs, her steps silenced by a faded blue carpet that might be older than Alison. The wallpaper is dark red with a flower pattern that has probably been showing signs of decay for three decades and has been out of style for nearly half a century. When she reaches the second floor, the decor doesn't improve - not that Alison was expecting it. The stairs are flanked by three doors on each side, carpet and wallpaper exactly the same, and it seems less used, but who can tell for sure in the weak light from the single wall lamp on each side of the hallway.

Alison's room is the second door to her left, the brass 12 crooked and rusting, and it takes several twists of the key in the lock to unlock. Alison's heart sinks when she flips on the light. The bed looks unstable at best, and the comforter is an ugly brown, with several dark, irregular spots that Alison doesn't want to even the cause. She wouldn't be caught dead on that. There's no TV, no mini fridge, and the only electronics are the ceiling and bedside lamps. In the bathroom, the only good thing she can say is that at least the sink and toilet look clean; not that Alison would even consider stepping into the small shower stall, drain covered with hair. She fights her gag reflex, closing the bathroom door and starts to move to sit on the bed before she catches herself and finds her way to one of the two chairs in the bedroom.

Alison sits for a few minutes, staring out the window that, unfortunately, faces the back of the hotel, denying her a view of the parked car with her backup. When she thinks she's waited long enough to not raise suspicions, she exits the dingy room, and locks the door, as if it would make a difference to someone who truly wanted to break in. She grabs her cell phone from her purse, and pockets it in case she needs to make an emergency call.

The bar is in a small room, to the right of the front desk, the same brass letters on top of the opened double doors indicate the place. Surprisingly, is the best lit space of the hotel, but a thick cloud of smoke from cigarettes and cigars fogs the entire room and stifles the air. Alison walks to the counter, once again having the feeling that all eyes are on her, and it makes her even more restless. The place is packed, with only a few stools remaining at the bar. Every table is occupied, mostly by male vampires, even though she does spot a few, rough looking females. She stands out in the middle of this crowd like an illuminated Christmas tree in July.

"Looking for company, sweetheart?"

She has barely taken a seat on one of the high stools when a man with long, blond, hair and beard accosts her, with his arm around her lean waist.

"Call me sweetheart again and I'll rip out your throat!" Alison hisses in a low, cold voice, fangs fully exposed in an intimidating look that she hopes it sends the right message.

The man looks stunned for a few seconds, before he raises both his hands and steps back. "Too much work for a night's fuck..."

Alison's eyes follow him, satisfied to see that he has retreated rather easily and is now approaching another woman who seems much more receptive to his advances. She scans the rest of the room and spots a table in a corner whose occupants are as equally noticeable. They are dressed sharply in black suits; some with their jackets on, while others are already down to their pressed, gray shirts, but all of them have the same look. They talk among themselves in low voices, contrasting with the boisterousness of the other patrons, but keep looking around themselves, clearly aware of what's happening around them.

Alison quickly makes the deduction that they're probably the security detail of the elders, meeting somewhere inside the hotel. Unfortunately the fact that they're in a group prevents her from approaching them. It would be much easier to extract information if she could find one of them alone, but to even get near the large group is out of the question. She considers leaving and calling the whole thing off. After all, like Cosima said, they'll have other opportunities, and they'll be better prepared next time. Even so, the idea of returning to her friend with nothing to show for it doesn't seem right. So, instead, she orders a sparkling water, to the waiter's surprise, and decides to wait at least a few minutes for an opening.

Twenty minutes turn into two hours and nothing changes other than a need to use the restroom after drowning her third drink and Alison gives up. She stands, pays her tab and walks in the direction of the stairs. Shaking her head in disappointment, Alison climbs the steps, annoyed by the fruitless adventure. She really wanted to give Cosima something, to prove her value after having the older vampire looking after her for so long, but she doesn't even know where the meeting took place or who attended. All she knows is that day is about to break, the bar she left behind was almost empty, save for a few drunken vampires, and the group never left the corner table. Worst of all is the prospect of spending the entire day sequestered in the awful room she's now approaching, with its terrible hygiene and nothing to keep her occupied.

"And just what is a fine lady like yourself doing in a dump like this?"

The man is too close to her, close enough for Alison to feel his presence right behind her and wonder how did she miss it before. It sends a bolt of fear through her body, but she fights it back, thinking it's the same annoying vampire from earlier and knowing that she has to intimidate him back into his shell. She turns on the balls of her feet quickly, expecting the same guy who looked like a biker in desperate need of a shower, but surprised to find one of the guards she had been watching the entire night.

He's handsome, she observes. Dark, spiky hair, and clean shaven with a defined, squared jaw. He has broad shoulders and his long, wool coat is draped over the left, held by his index finger. He even has a pleasant smile, the fangs retracted in an open and bold smirk. Only his shining, icy blue eyes betray his appearance and give away the beast which lies beneath.

Alison's expression changes from hostile to friendly quickly. "I keep asking myself that," she says with a smile and a shy giggle.

* * *

Cosima shifts again in her seat, trying and failing to find a comfortable position. Hours drag by at a snail's pace, especially since Felix left just before daybreak. Together they'd seen the caravan of SUV's leave the hotel, just before he did. Guards looking around as the elders, who Cosima easily recognized, stepped inside the vehicles as, one by one, they drove away in different directions. Shay and her security team among them, but no sign of Alison.

In the car, with the seat leaned back, she had observed people leaving their houses for another day of work, parents carrying their sleepy children by the hand and stuffing them in cars in a hurry. All of them completely unaware of the danger lurking around their quiet neighborhood. She's starting to feel hungry. Not the hunger she experienced when the animal inside her demands attention - that kind she has grown used to and it's now part of her, a constant force she has to fight. But the other kind, the kind that has her daydreaming about French toast, which later evolves into a craving for pasta, perhaps a pizza. Had Cosima known how the previous night would unfold, she would've brought some snacks.

More than once she was tempted to leave her post, just a short drive out of this residential neighborhood will get her somewhere she could get some food and calm her angry stomach. However, the fear of Alison needing her keeps her in place. And the day stretches on, her eyes semi-closed on the hotel door, expecting her friend to come out, screaming bloody murder.

* * *

Alison groans when she opens her eyes, the weak rays of light coming through the heavy drapes on her face. She feels tired still, despite the late afternoon and turns around on her bed, seeking refuge from the light and finding it on the strong form lying next to her. With her mind still locked in sleep, she slings an arm over the large torso and scoots closer. It's only when the man releases a loud snort that her brain returns to fully functioning status.

Quickly she sits up, the sheets pooling around her waist, leaving her completely bare. Her eyes double in size and she quickly pulls the covers to her chin, slowly and fearfully peeking under the covers to confirm her suspicions. Fully naked, as well as the man still sleeping next to her.

"Holy f... fish sticks!" She whispers harshly, getting up from the bed immediately.

The man turns and snorts again, apparently undisturbed by her movements. She walks around on her tiptoes, embarrassingly collecting the discarded clothes from the floor, balling them in her arms and hiding in the bathroom.

As she dresses quickly, her mind struggles to make sense of what happened. She remembers thinking he was nice, polite, nothing like the vampires she has met in her life, save for Cosima, of course. Alison accepted when he -... Charles? Charlie? - had invited himself into her room under the guise of a quiet place to talk. They didn't talk all that much, as it turned out. When Alison recalls that part of the night, her movements freeze and she stops to look herself in the mirror. The light makeup she had last night is smudged, and her hair, that she prides herself on always be absolutely perfect, shows obvious signs of her activities. She opens the tap and cleans her face, unfortunately there's little she can do about the hair which she tries to comb with her fingers, until it no longer looks like she's been blown by a strong wind.

She opens the bedroom door quietly, hoping to find the man still peacefully asleep, but she's simply not that lucky. He's sitting on the bed, and smiles when sees her.

"I was wondering where you'd run to," he comments, stretching lazily. "Why don't you come back to bed? We still have at least half an hour until we can leave," and he taps the sheets next to him.

"I... uhhh... I don't think so..." she says, moving around quickly again, looking for her shoes but stops suddenly, not sure what else to say.

"It's Carl," he helps her with a knowing smile. "I didn't think you'd be the type to hit and run. Not that I'm complaining... Last night was..."

"Could you not, please!" Alison's voice sounds shrieking when she interrupts him.

Despite her unfriendliness, Carl continues to smile, but gets the message. He rises from the bed and stretches his entire body, showcasing the scratch marks carved onto his back. Alison avoids the sight, blushing acutely and sighing in relief when she finds the shoe that's been missing under the bed.

"I think we should exchange numbers," he says, pulling his boxers over his somewhat reddish buttocks and causing Alison's face to get even more crimson. "You know... In case you have another itch that needs scratching."

"No, no!" Alison says fast. "This was a one time thing, it's shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"Still... My boss comes here every so often and I get bored," he insists, apparently slightly amused by the woman's reaction. "I'll give you a call and you show up if you want. No strings attached."

"I don't do  _no strings attached_ , mister!" Alison's offended by the insinuation, but an idea has begun to form in her mind.

Maybe she can still get something useful out of this. If this man is part of the security detail of one of the elders, he can still be prove useful. Maybe she wasn't able to gather information this time, but that's not saying that in future meetings she can't get him to talk.

"Exactly how often do you come here?" She asks, looking at him and pleased to see he's fully dressed.

"Every other week or so," he answers, his smile large, anticipating future encounters. "I just follow orders."

"Very well," Alison says, searching in her purse for pen and paper, where she scribbles her number. "You can call me and we'll see if I answer it," she finishes, tossing the paper onto the messy bed and walks to the door.

"Wait!" He calls when she's at the door. "You haven't told me your name."

"Like you need to know it for what we do..." she throws over her shoulder and closes the door.

Like a fugitive she walks fast down the stairs and only stops at the empty front desk to drop the keys on the balcony. No one stops her on the way out, for which she's immensely grateful.

* * *

Cosima keeps drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, her eyes not leaving the hotel's front door. The sun is not yet fully set, that's true, but it no longer shines brightly in the sky and no longer poses a threat for the  _pure_  vampires - as some like to call them; there's nothing stopping Alison from leaving. Her worry grows, even if she thinks that the younger vampire is smart enough to spot danger in time for a quick call, but maybe she overestimated Alison's capabilities. Not a word from the other woman throughout the day and Cosima is starting to get really concerned for her safety.

She had halfway decided to go inside and look for her friend when Alison finally exits the hotel, quick, nervous steps carrying her to the car that's been parked in the same place the entire night.

Alison gets in without saying a word, in fact, the younger vampire barely looks in Cosima's direction, who's frowning.

"Everything okay?" Cosima asks, concern in her voice.

"Yes, yes! Just drive!" Alison replies quickly, flicking her wrist a couple of times to indicate her hurry.

"How did it go?" Cosima turns on the ignition, but her eyes continue to scan her friend.

"It was fine!" Alison dismisses her flatly.

Cosima frowns again and shakes her head to herself. Something's not right with Alison, there's an awkward nervousness in her gestures, her body even more tense than usual. Alison has always been a bit weird for Cosima's standards, but never quite like this. Of course she'd be a lot more worried if she could detect any sort of injury in her friend, but she looks unharmed and that makes Cosima feel a lot more confused than worried.

"So..." Cosima restarts slowly when they stop at a red light. "Did you make any new friends?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Alison jumps in her seat and shrieks.

Cosima eyes her with intensity and tilts her brow, then it suddenly hits her, not really sure how she knows it, but she does and starts to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh my god, Alison!" She manages between laughs. "You totally got some!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the other woman defends stubbornly, her entire being fighting for control that only makes Cosima laugh harder.

"Don't tell me it has been so long you've forgotten the lingo," Cosima teases, restarting the march once the light turns green. "Got some, had sex, do the nasty!"

"I don't  _do the nasty_ , Cosima," Alison says horrified.

"Was it good?" Cosima pushes her buttons with a smile. "I mean, if it has been that long anything would be great, right?"

Alison crosses her arms over her chest, but at least has given up denying the obvious. Cosima ceases her teasing and gives her friend some time to collect her dignity, even if now and then a chuckle fills the vehicle.

"Besides your sex life, what else did you find out in there? Anything useful to us?" Cosima couldn't resist the little nudge if she tried - which she doesn't.

"The... gentleman..." Alison begins slowly. "He works for one of the elders."

"Oh... Did you spy bang one of them?" Cosima laughs again.

"He says they meet there regularly," Alison says, ignoring Cosima's comment. "We've exchanged numbers. He'll call when the next meeting takes place."

"Sounds like he's setting you up for a booty call," Cosima says. "And I'm happy for you, but we already have Felix to tell us that."

"Yes, well... this way we know where and we can get there before they do," Alison sounds no nonsense. "Besides, if we continue to meet maybe I'll be able to get information from him. If I gain his trust, that is."

Cosima smirks to herself, her eyes on the road. "In my experience, and it's quite an extensive one, nothing gains someone else's trust faster than an orgasm... or four."

Alison snaps her tongue. "Cosima..." She scorns.

* * *

A week passes without news, although that's to be expected. If their information is correct, these meetings take place every two or three weeks. So things remain calm and the only change in Cosima's routine is Felix's visits. The vampire has started to come around Cosima's place, assuring her that he's not being followed. In fact, according to him, Shay's been so consumed by whatever is going on behind the scenes, that's she's barely able to keep track of what's going on in her own house, where - again, taking Felix's word - things have started to fall apart. Without a right hand, Shay's been stretched too thin and the once tight control she had on everyone is starting to weaken.

Cosima doesn't know if she should feel pleased or worried with this news. Of course, she herself had loathed the tight grip Shay had on her and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. But most members of her species are not exactly like her, especially if Shay's coven is now filled with young vampires who have very little if any control over their natural impulses. When experiencing the power the transformation for the first time, it's easy to forget there are limits to what one can do. Without the forced control that the head of the family provides, who knows what can happen. Certainly nothing good could come from a big city crawling with young, out of control vampires.

On the other hand, what this also implicates is that, whatever is happening, is big enough for Shay to ignore her duties as head of the coven, something she always considered of great importance. Shay's many flaws certainly never included dismissing her responsibilities. If anything she was always controlling to a flaw.

And this is exactly why this news is so disturbing to Cosima. Something's changing, and it's big enough for Shay to no longer put the family first, and very little would cause such a drastic change, especially in such a small span of time. Two years is nothing for someone who's lived centuries and has the theoretical possibility of eternal life. Vampires are not exactly known for the human trait of impatience since they can afford the time to make changes. This brings Cosima to a very disturbing conclusion: the elders are not moving at their own pace. In fact, they are usually very resistant to changes, fighting them using every trick in the book. They know something and they're making a move against it - that's the only thing that could possibly force their hands.

While they're being proactive, Cosima has no other choice than to be reactive. She's making her moves shackled by the information she's getting too late to really anticipate their next move. She can feel all the urgency in the world, but without knowing what's going on, there's very little she can do about it. She's constantly several steps behind.

This concept enters her mind again when she receives a very fidgeting Alison in her place.

"The nerve of that asshole!" Alison says loud, entering Cosima's home and heading straight to the fridge.

Cosima's stunned for a moment, but it doesn't prevent her from smiling. "I might regret asking this," she says, "but what exactly are you talking about?"

"The doctor at DYAD," Alison's voice rises even higher as she fills a glass of wine to the brim.

Cosima's body tenses and she frowns, the humor of the situation dissipates. "What about it?"

"Asking me questions that are really non of their business." The other woman downs half the glass.

Cosima continues to frown but she's starting to connect the dots. "I'm sure it's not the first time you've had to answer those questions." She starts to smirk again. "The only difference is that this time your answer has changed."

Alison sits on the couch heavily, balancing the glass in her hand, not losing her proper stance entirely as she crosses her legs and sits with her back impeccably straight.

"Why do they need to know that anyway? What does that have to do with the treatment?" She says much calmer, now that the generous drink of wine is starting to take effect. "As if enduring the secondary effects of those damn shots isn't enough."

Cosima shrugs and sits next to her friend in a much more relaxed position, completely resting her back in the corner of the couch and raising one leg on top of it to look directly at the other woman. "It's supposed to ascertain your commitment to the program."

"Like hell it is!" Alison huffs. "Is just another way to control us."

"Hey! I didn't say I believe it!" Cosima raises her hands. "I'm just repeating Delphine's words."

"Delphine?!" A perfect brow arches, surprised at the familiarity with which Cosima mentions the doctor. "Oh Cosima... Don't tell me you did something so stupid?"

The older vampire clenches her jaw and her hand flexes around the cushion of the sofa, but she keeps her temper in check. "My relationship with Dr. Cormier is nothing but professional," she says in a calm, controlled voice.

"I wouldn't call it a relationship." Alison's stare remains suspicious, but she waves her hand dismissively. "Anyway, it's entirely irrelevant, since apparently she's no longer our physician."

"What do you mean?" Cosima's tone raises a few octaves, being caught completely off guard by the news.

"I know right?!" Alison nods and takes a small sip of the wine. "She didn't last long, unfortunately and I kind of liked her - not as much as you, apparently. But, according to Krystal, Dr. Cormier has been reassigned."

"Those were her words? Reassigned?" Cosima's nerves are definitely getting the best of her and she can no longer keep the concern out of her voice, her body completely taut. "Not resigned or fired?"

"No, not at all," Alison responds, her stare closely inspecting the other vampire's reaction. "It was more like a promotion, Krystal said. Which means she doesn't have to deal with our sad lot anymore."

Cosima takes in a deep breath, fighting every instinct to find out more. But she decides she knows enough for now; Alison is a limited source of information and to pursue the interrogation is going to cause her already suspicious friend to be even more apprehensive - Alison is not nearly as clueless as she might seem. Cosima's only concern should be for the doctor's safety, and if Delphine has gotten a promotion it means she's probably safer than before. As Alison said, at least the blonde is no longer in direct contact with vampires.

So, the best thing to do is to sit tight, her appointment day is coming soon and she can get more information from a much well informed source. Cosima can make Krystal talk; no problem.

* * *

It's quite revealing of Cosima's character that as soon as she hears Alison's door close upstairs, she jumps to her feet, and quickly puts on her shoes and coat. When she closes the front door as she leaves, she does so quietly.

It's still too early. If Delphine has kept her usual working hours, she won't leave DYAD for another hour or so. But it serves a purpose; Cosima walks aimlessly around the city and makes sure she isn't being followed. The doctor should go straight home from work, not that Cosima will risk getting anywhere near the institute to see for herself. Instead, she finds herself roaming along Delphine's street until she approaches the alley where the blonde was attacked, and hides in the shadows, out of sight.

And waits.

Her eyes scan the unsuspecting humans heading home after another day of work. Cosima doesn't know exactly why she's here, or what she'll say to the doctor once they meet, but the impulse to see her again was too strong to fight, and she hated the idea of having the fascinating woman removed from her life so tempestuously. She ignores thoughts that this is a terrible mistake; that, being in the middle of a war, albeit involuntarily, this is the last thing she should be doing. Delphine is not a priority, Shay is. In fact, the doctor is nothing more than a liability, a distraction from the real problems that Cosima could do without. Furthermore, the last time Cosima met the blonde, she'd made it clear she wanted nothing but distance from the vampire. Is that what this is about? Does Delphine's change of position have anything to do with Cosima? Was this the way the doctor found to keep them apart? And, if so, shouldn't the vampire respect the alluring human's wish?

Cosima is undecided. Does she leave, not force her presence in Delphine's life, or stay and try to get something from the doctor, a justification? No, not a justification, Delphine doesn't have to justify herself. More like a reason, if she chooses to share it with Cosima.  _This is a mistake_ , the vampire thinks again, her survival instinct which has served her for so long and which she has always valued more than anything is being completely ignored. She compromises in the end: if the doctor insists on the distance, Cosima will do so, but not before one last talk.

Delphine is late. The night has completely fallen before the vampire captures her scent, carried up the street by a strong breeze which raises suddenly. Reluctant about meeting the woman in a place that would bring her bad memories, Cosima walks ahead of the human and passes Delphine's building. She stops and turns around, making herself visible under the beam of the closest streetlight and waits for the blonde to reach her door. She watches as Delphine looks around before entering her pin to unlock the door, and her eyes land on the vampire.

At first she scowls, and Cosima notices her chest rise and fall with a deep sigh. Even so, the doctor needs no further incentive to approach her.

"What are you doing here?" Delphine asks in a harsh whisper, grabbing the vampire's arm and pushing her away from the light.

"I heard you no longer do consultations," Cosima says after a short hesitation, caught off guard by the sudden motion.

"So?" The doctor frowns, her tense stance doesn't change.

The vampire shakes her head to herself, dreads sway around her face. "I don't know..." She whispers lowly.

She feels lost, her mind struggles to work but it's like there are parts missing, rendering her entire cognitive system useless.  _A mistake_ , it sounds in her head again and she's certain of it now. How could this be happening? Cosima's a reasonable person, even in her human years, she was always so careful about every step she took. Safety is the priority, it has always been. What is she doing here? Stalking a human that will only bring her troubles. What does she think she can get out of this?

Delphine bites her lip and her breathing increases, deep, unsteady pulls of air as she turns to furtively look around herself.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

Cosima's eyes struggle to focus, roaming every inch of the engaging features at once and not settling for any. Yes, this was definitely a mistake. How could she have forgotten how overwhelming it feels to have Delphine so close? Her control is slipping. She clenches her jaw, a low growl, almost like a purr rises to her throat and the arm being held by the human burns with a paralyzing intensity, instinctively the fangs unsheathe themselves.

Delphine senses the change, and she noticeably swallows a gasp and steps back, releasing the vampire's arm.

"I wasn't followed," Cosima's voice is rough when she speaks, trying to sound as nonthreatening as possible, as if that should be Delphine's only concern.

She wants to re-establish the physical contact. She's never considered that something that burns would be so seductive, so desired, but here she is, wishing for the intense heat Delphine's touch causes, wanting to feel it spreading across her entire body and find a way within herself. But she reminds herself of the promise she made earlier, Delphine must have her way, the doctor is the one who can dictate the path they take.

Delphine's posture softens a little. She has never really felt threatened by the vampire, but the fact that she's obviously given maneuvering room seems to raise her self assurance. While she keeps her hands to herself, she does approach the small woman, lowers her face and looks directly into the blazing eyes. Still, the tension doesn't diminish, she continues to nervously look around herself, as if expecting the danger she announced to take them by surprise.

"I wouldn't be so sure of it," Delphine says in an almost intimate tone.

"I was careful, Delphine," Cosima insists, but she's starting to suspect that the risk the doctor fears isn't coming from Cosima herself.

Delphine shakes her head vigorously. "You can't be here," she says and there's a renewed urgency in her voice, a gleam in her already bright eyes. "Tell me where to meet you!"

Cosima raises a brow, her mind startled by the turn of events, wondering if she's imagining things. "The  _Nightcrawler_ ," she hears herself say. "Knock on the back door."

The doctor nods once and, before Cosima's mind has the chance to catch up, Delphine is walking inside her building.


	12. Eleventh

Delphine enters her house and flips on the lights. Shedding her coat she approaches the window, just in time to see the vampire steal one last glance up the building and walk away. She sighs and closes the drapes as an internal fight starts to take shape.

The last two weeks have been draining as she struggled to catch up with her co-workers who've been involved in the  _improvement_  of the vaccination for much longer than she - some since the very beginning, when the government secured the services of the Institute. They've not taken kindly to the new addition to their team. Despite Dr. Bowles' words, her work environment is more reminiscent of a high school filled with mean spirited kids than a family. Not that Delphine bought into the other woman's pep talk. Every idea she comes up with is immediately shut down by a senior scientist and they disregard her input as that of someone who's out of their depth.

She misses Krystal and her much more casual approach. She misses the coffee and smoke breaks she was free to take in the slow mornings, which she used to center herself and find the strength to carry on. She even misses the contact she had with the eclectic vampire community. Cosima has crossed her mind on several occasions as well. It's not so much that she misses her and their tense interactions, but the engaging vampire has found her way into the doctor's thoughts on a regular basis, especially with the information she had access to via Marion Bowles. It's a constant worry in the back of her mind, and occasionally surfaces to her main thoughts.

Cosima, like all the others patients, is involved in a program she really knows nothing about, doesn't realize its ultimate goal and how dangerous it is for her own kind. She's unknowingly a part of a plot that in essence means to eliminate her species. However, and unlike the other patients, there's an underlying concern about the repercussions of the treatment, somehow it feels personal. Delphine's connection with Cosima has gone beyond the patient/doctor relationship, even if she didn't want it to, and the consequences feel more realistic. Delphine could analyze what DYAD is doing to its patients from an analytic point of view, and she could work on it without worry about the real consequences of her actions if it weren't for Cosima. In more ways than one, Cosima has made her life more difficult, making it next to impossible for her to keep a distant, impersonal perspective on what she's doing.

Her motivation is not to save the other species, not to save vampires from extinction, which clearly seems to be the final objective from the treatment, regardless of what DYAD claims. Sure, their initial objective might be to keep the vampire's population under control, but the ultimate goal is fairly obvious. Delphine is practical. She doesn't see that as a terrible outcome if it happens at some point in the future, but she would rather not have an active part in making vampires - or lycans, for that matter - things of the past, lost to history. In truth, this is quite irrelevant to her, even if she'd rather not to intervene, in favor of one or another outcome.

Cosima complicates things, though. This particular vampire is not irrelevant to Delphine. While she's yet to identify the reason for her concern, she's not completely indifferent to Cosima's fate. The experienced vampire is, at the moment, her best possible ally. Like her, Cosima has no defined alliance, and perhaps that's why she worries about the vampire if she, for whatever reason, decides to suspend her treatment and meet the same destiny of others in that situation.

The consequences of not taking the shot are devastating. It starts with only a slight discomfort, but quickly escalates to unbearable physical pain. And while Delphine had yet to see the results for herself, the reports she's seen paint a gruesome scenario. The possibility of Cosima ending up captured and used as a guinea pig in the sterilization program is even worst.

The program is infamous in the Institute among the scientists for its devastating results, but that's not enough reason to stop the experiments. In fact it's the investigation that has the largest chunk of funds. The government is determined to see it succeed, regardless of how much money they throw at it. But all the money in the world can't make the science bend to their will. After having access to the entirety of the research project, Delphine's convinced that it can't possibly work. It's seems like the gene that causes the transfer of the mutation is essential and can't be simply removed without serious consequences to a vampire's mental and, to a smaller extent, physical integrity.

The young doctor has voiced her concerns directly to Dr. Bowles and explained her beliefs, but was met with skepticism.  _If you can't remove it_ , the older scientist has said,  _you can mutate it. Everything has a solution_. Delphine was encouraged to ignore her first assumptions and continue to work with the rest of her team in finding a solution to a problem she really doesn't think exists.

All this upsets her beyond measure and she's aware that it's taking away the focus of her real intentions. Delphine's losing her objectivity and that is never good.

Evidently, this is aggravated by her undefined relationship with Cosima. And now, she's only digging herself a deeper hole. Meeting the vampire is not the best move if she wants to remain objective. It will only cause her to be more emotionally entangled, but Delphine can't afford to have Cosima showing up at her doorstep, especially when she doesn't know if the vampire's steps are being closely monitored. The doctor doesn't even know if she's already in trouble or not, although the fact that she's still allowed to work on the most sensitive project for the institute is an indication that, at least for now, she's safe.

* * *

 

Cosima's body remains tense as she walks away from Delphine's building. Her fangs ache as she nibbles the inside of her cheek, the beast growling in her chest, the hunger trying to claw its way out. Still, she clenches her jaw, willing the animal back to sleep. For years she has had it under control, and she won't let it out now.

Even as she steps into  _The Nightcrawler,_  the tension is yet to fully dissipate. She still feels it, lurking in the shadows of her psyche, waiting for the perfect opportunity, for her to lower her guard, so it can come lurching out. And if she wasn't sure if it, if the feeling were not so obvious to her, the reaction from others around her would provide all the clues she needed.

The bar is packed. Creatures of the night make good on confirming the establishment's name. Several heads turn in her direction as she passes by, the few that make eye contact are quick to avert their gaze, lest the danger in the ancient vampire's eyes turns against them.

"You look like shit!" Sarah, clearly not one to tread lightly, observes from the other side of the counter.

"Thanks!" Cosima answers sarcastically. "I need a favor," she says without delay.

The young werewolf smirks and nods without question. She turns around and reaches for a bottle.

"Not that!" Cosima says with impatience when she realizes her request has been misinterpreted.

Sarah stops her motion of unscrewing the bottle and raises a brow. "You sure?" She presses. "Cause it sure looks like you need it. I assure you we only carry the good stuff, all volunteers."

"I don't need blood, I need your backroom," the vampire explains and her eyes go to the door that leads to her request.

Sarah puts the bottle back on the shelf and looks straight at Cosima. "You know… usually I wouldn't bother, but you really don't look like you're in good shape, so I need to know what for."

Cosima glares at her, a sight that would be enough to frighten almost everyone, but Sarah is hard to intimidate and doesn't even flinch, just continues to raise an obnoxious brow. The vampire breathes in deeply to keep her temper in check, knowing that it won't help, and leans forward across the bar. Her stare passes over the nearby patrons to see if anyone is paying attention, but people know better than to pry into her business.

"I need a discreet place to meet someone," she says in a low voice when Sarah leans close to her.

"And is this someone of the female human variety?" The werewolf asks with a gleam in her brown eyes.

"Does it matter?" Cosima challenges, short on patience.

"It does because this is my fucking house and I have the right to know if I have to deal with a dead body in the next few hours!" Sarah doesn't disarm.

"I haven't killed anyone in ages… literally," Cosima says, trying to sound more agreeable.

"Yeah? Well, I've never seen you like this, so I'm sorry if I don't feel like taking your word on this," the werewolf obstinately crosses her arms over her chest.

"I'll owe you one," Cosima goads in a softer voice, her back relaxes, her posture less threatening.

Still, the other woman eyes her carefully, judging the vampire's semblance. "I'll collect!" She eventually gives in. "And I'd feel better if you take that drink."

Cosima shakes her head. "Thanks, but no thanks," she says. "I doubt it would help. In fact it would probably make it worse."

"Oh… I feel so reassured now." Sarah rolls her eyes and places a hand over her chest in a mocking gesture. Next she motions for Cosima to follow her and leaves the back of the counter.

"She's coming through the back door, so you don't need to worry about that," Cosima says in a pacifying manner, as they cross the hall that leads to the secluded room.

"Yeah, that helps my anxiety about all this."

Cosima ignores the comment and tries to make small talk. "Where's S?"

"Putting Kira to sleep," the other woman answers. "And if this shit blows up in my face, you're the one who gets to deal with Siobhan!"

"Sure thing!" Cosima nods and enters the room when Sarah opens the door.

"Just… like... don't kill her, yeah?" The werewolf says just before she closes the door on Cosima's face.

"Yes, that would definitely suck…" The vampire murmurs to herself.

* * *

 

Delphine is nervous. She can feel her guts twist with anxiety and her brain is working too fast for her to collect her own thoughts. Nonetheless, she's poised, appearing calm on the outside, her steps unfaltering as she walks through the night. She keeps to busy streets where she feels safe until she enters the dark alley that leads to the back of the ill-reputed bar.

Her hesitation only shows when she raises her fist to knock on the heavy, rusted door, and that's when the doubts catch up to her. Cosima has never given her reason to feel threatened, however, it is also true that they've never really met in private. At the Institute, the security was always one shout away, and even when they met on the outside, just steps away from her own building, she had some room to maneuver, a way to escape the vampire. Not now. This time, they're meeting on Cosima's turf, even if it was the human who suggested this encounter, it's still on the creature's terms. If Delphine shouts for help, no one will come to her aid.

_Oh, what a terrible idea this is_ , she thinks while at the same time shaking her head and knocking twice on the door. Not even five seconds later the door is opening, Cosima obviously waiting for her. The doctor hesitates a second time once her eyes fall on the small woman. The well lit backroom allows her to see something that she missed earlier in the evening, when the streetlight offered only shadowed views of Cosima. There's a tension in the vampire's gestures, the fangs, while not entirely exposed, are still prominent, but it's the gaze that gives her pause. The warm, inviting brown is almost completely gone, and sprinkles of glacier blue are already visible through the lenses of her glasses. They move uneasily, unfocused, not really meeting the blonde's stare but seemly unable to steer too far from it.

"Come in," Cosima's voice sounds no different though, even if her gestures aren't quite as fluid as usual when she motions for Delphine to enter. "I probably won't bite."

At this the doctor opens her eyes widely and takes a step back, the hands safely inside the pockets of her coat, the right one clenching around a phone even if she doesn't know who to call in case of need. Her body ready to make a quick escape.

"Sorry," Cosima shakes her head and brings a hand to her forehead. "Bad vampire humor… Shouldn't have said it."

Still, Delphine doesn't move, her eyes narrow in the vampire's direction, accessing the danger. The small body appears pliant, almost delicate, a compact form that glides effortlessly to the side to allow all the space Delphine needs to cross the threshold. But she's not nearly stupid enough to believe she can overpower Cosima; the vampire is strong despite her petite body, stronger than most men Delphine has encountered throughout her life, stronger than most vampires as well. Cosima's long lifespan is a tribute to that, and while the vampire is trying hard to make herself feel as unthreatening as possible, Delphine's fully aware that it's nothing but a ploy to make her feel safe.

"Delphine, I won't hurt you," Cosima assures in a quiet voice, there's even a hint of sadness in her tone, in the eyes that gleam dangerously, but show affection at the same time.

It's an incredibly conflicting sight, and Delphine doesn't know if she should take it at face value. But this was her idea, and if Cosima wanted to hurt her she could easily do so, whether Delphine decides to enter the room or not. She had willfully walked into the lion's den on her own, and pulling back now would be admitting her weakness.

The vampire breathes in deeply when the doctor finally steps inside without uttering a word. Delphine's heart starts to slam against her ribs when she hears the door shutting behind her back and it keeps pounding harshly when she turns and sees Cosima approaching her, with vivid eyes on her. But she moves past Delphine, not touching as she leans casually against a table carefully placed at the center of the room. Only then does Delphine really take notice of the space. It appears to be used as a sort of storage facility. Tables and chairs stacked upon each other take up most of the space, with two old looking cabinets against one of the walls. Only the table neatly placed at the very center of the room and two chairs prompt against it, one on each side, are the exception. Cosima's doing, no doubt.

"Is it okay if I smoke?" Are Delphine's first words and she's already searching her bag for the pack of cigarettes.

Cosima shrugs. "It's not like it will kill me."

Delphine hums and watches as Cosima finds an ashtray and slides it across the table, and sits in the chair furthest from the door, leaving the path to the outside clear. The vampire leans back comfortably and crosses her ankles beneath the table. They remain in a awkward silence. Delphine smokes and arches a brow while she observes the other woman with open curiosity. She's not entirely surprised when Cosima passively lets her stare, a ghost of smile in her lips, a small clench of the jawbone, with a raised brow of her own.

"So… Delphine…" Cosima starts, her voice expressing some of the amusement she's no doubt feeling. "What are we doing here?"

The blonde finishes her cigarette and crushes it in the ashtray, but continues standing, ignoring the chair Cosima has set up for her.

"I can't have you lurking around my place," she says not as sternly as she should. "You know that."

"Okay… I'll stop," Cosima nods and both her arms rise in understanding. "Of course that doesn't explain why you didn't just say that and instead suggested we meet elsewhere."

Delphine bites her lower lip thoughtfully and immediately notices the vampire's eyes drop to her mouth, and a shift in the other woman's position, knuckles turning white as she grips the arms of the chair. Even the rhythm of her breathing changes, becoming more rapid. All this she notices in the few seconds it takes her brain to consider her options. How much is she ready to divulge to Cosima? And why does she feel obligated to tell her anything at all? And if she says something, where does she start?

"I got a promotion," she eventually blurts out.

Cosima frowns and looks slightly confused. "So I've heard," she says nonetheless. "I suppose congratulations are in order. Does that mean you no longer want to associate with the likes of me?"

The doctor nods firmly. "Yes! Well… no, not exactly," she backtracks and Cosima's amused smile reappears. "It means they are watching me more closely," Delphine decides for something as close to the truth as she can offer. "You'd get in trouble if they know you're following me."

"So would you, doctor!" The vampire replies quickly, but in the most casual of ways. "What would your bosses say if they knew we were meeting like this? In the backroom of a place like this?"

Delphine's brain falters, her answers not nearly as ready as the vampire's. She needs to navigate murky waters, contour half truths in order to get her point across. Cosima has the benefit of blunt honesty.

"So, I ask again," Cosima presses, the smile gone and her gaze intense on Delphine's, shining brighter each time the human gathers the strength to look in her eyes. "What are we doing here, Delphine?"

"You need to continue with the treatment," the doctor says adamantly and she knows it's a misstep the moment she hears her own words tumbling from her mouth, as if hypnotized by the stare.

It doesn't escape the vampire, whose eyes shine with intense curiosity, her body leans forward on the table, her strong hands placed on its top, the fingers of each hand interlacing each other.

"Not that I was thinking of doing so," Cosima remarks in a strong, clear voice. "But now you have me thinking why exactly I shouldn't."

The blonde looks away, hiding her gaze from the unsettling, scrutinizing eyes. She nibbles her lower lip and searches for a reasonable explanation to her lapse. It wasn't even conscious the decision to warn Cosima, but if she was going to do that, she should be cautious about the way she says it, keeping the vampire in the right path, without hinting at how dangerous it could be to veer away from it. That was the only way she could avoid uncomfortable questions, like the one that was asked just now, questions she can't or won't answer.

"Delphine, what are you not telling me?" Cosima persists, her tone soft but firm.

The human finally looks up, her eyes scanning the vampire, and although Cosima remains seated, her stance is far from being relaxed. Her body is taut, leaning forward as if ready to stand quickly and attack. Her hands, still laced around each other, flexing tensely, the knuckles and fingertips white. It appears as if Cosima is doing her best not to scare Delphine, containing her response, keeping herself disciplined.

"Is this about your new position?" The vampire continues to push, getting closer to the answer all on her own, just by reading Delphine's reaction. "What have you found out? What will happen if I stop the treatment?"

"They've laced the treatment with something," Delphine reveals, but chooses her words carefully, and focuses on the vampire reactions. "So, if you stop it, your system will go into withdrawal."

"You've poisoned me?!" This time Cosima stands.

The chair she was sitting on slides back and scratches the floor loudly before it tumbles back. But the surge of anger is swallowed as quickly as it appeared, Cosima's hands gripping the edge of the table and she dips her head, shaking it sadly.

Inside, Delphine trembles, but she sets her jaw and swallows the shivers of fear. "I didn't know," she says steadily. "I've only found out when I started working at the lab."

"She was right…" Cosima mumbles to herself, her head continuing moving from side to side, as if she hadn't heard Delphine's justification - and maybe she hasn't. "She was right all along. I shouldn't have trusted you, I should've known better than to believe humans' good intentions…" she chuckles bitterly, humorlessly. "Centuries of dealing with your kind and being disappointed time and time again wasn't enough for me to learn my lesson apparently."

Slowly, Delphine takes a few, careful steps in the vampire's direction. She extends an arm, meaning to place a hand on the small woman's back, wanting to provide some sort of comfort, but stops short and lets her arm drop.

"Not all of us are like that, Cosima," she says softly. "Some of us still care."

It happens so fast. The next thing she knows, she's pinned against the door, her wrists captured by strong hands. Cosima's face is so close that she can feel the raging breath of the creature against her skin. Icy blue eyes are blazing with anger, and fangs are exposed, bright white and menacing. Delphine uselessly tries to fight a grip that doesn't budge, no matter how hard she pushes back. There's a moment of shock, perhaps more because she didn't expect Cosima to jump her so fast, not after it didn't happen when Delphine made her revelation. And it was that time between the then and now, when she allowed her defenses to lower, to trust that Cosima wouldn't react this way that caused dread building in her stomach. One instant with slackened defenses and she's completely helpless.

"And which one of them are you, Delphine?" Cosima's voice is dangerously low as she seethes, jaws clenched. "You work for them, do their bidding, drugged me!"

"I didn't know!" If Delphine can't push back with physical strength she will with her words. What she can't do is allow Cosima to see her as vulnerable, as a victim. "I didn't need to tell you either! But I am."

"Why should I trust you?" Cosima falters in her certainty, her grip loosens considerably. "Why should I believe you?"

"My word is all I have to give you, if you don't believe it, there's nothing I can do about it," Delphine counters, her own voice loses the strength it had and she appeals to Cosima's reason, knowing that it is in there…somewhere. "Now, if you could let me go?"

Cosima drops her hands immediately and steps back. A confused frown painting her expression. The anger is dissipating, but not entirely gone. Her eyes brighter than ever, her fangs still yet to retreat.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, "I didn't mean to…"

Delphine flattens her coat and passes her hands through her hair, trying to regain her composure. There's still fear, a slight tremble in her hands. Her eyes go to the vampire, who has taken a few more steps away from her, and in her expression there's something that Delphine interprets as shame. Cosima has allowed her emotions to come out and she feels the guilt of it.

"What happens if I stop?" The vampire asks in a low, defeated voice. "If I'm somehow able to resist it?"

Delphine shakes her head and walks away from the wall, moves back to the center of the room and this time takes the seat. "We don't know…" She confesses. "No one has ever… They always come back, sooner or later."  _One way or the other_ , she thinks but doesn't say it. "It was designed to keep you coming for more."

"Like a drug addiction?" Cosima comments. "To keep us controlled, contained, domesticated."

A silence falls in the room. Cosima's anger seems to have deflated, but Delphine doesn't know what to say. She can't deny Cosima's words because she's right. Besides, there's nothing she can say to make this go away. Cosima's reaction was tempestuous, but not unreasonable. Anyone in her position would feel betrayed, the difference is what she is and the level of danger that comes with it.

"Why are you telling me this?" Cosima asks, her voice breaks slightly and she stares at Delphine, who avoids the brunette's gaze, lowering her eyes. "I mean… like you said, you didn't need to tell me this," the vampire continues to press, even if not as emphatically, she still won't take silence for an answer. "Or are you making it your mission to inform all of your patients of this little minuscule feature of those damn shots?"

"Would you prefer if I had told you nothing?" Delphine finds her voice, but it has no edge.

"I'd prefer you to answer my fucking question!" Cosima insists, and even though her words are blunt, there's little fire in her tone.

The human sighs, but continues to avoid the stare. "I guess I was afraid you would stop going after I left."

"You think pretty high of yourself, don't you?" Bitterness returns to Cosima as she chuckles.

The doctor accuses the sting and gets up from her chair in one rapid movement. "I can see this was a mistake," she says louder, more confidently. "And yes, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Ahhh, yes, that's right!" Cosima continues with dark irony. "Let them continue to inject that poison into my bloodstream without mine or anyone else's knowledge. God knows what else they're doing to us!" And then she stops suddenly, as if she just realized something. "What else are they doing to us?" She asks with a hard look.

But Delphine won't answer that. After the way Cosima reacted to the information she did divulge, there's no way to know what would happen if the doctor revealed everything she knows.

"It's gotta be pretty bad, right?" Cosima carries on with her monologue, as new realizations come to her mind. "If you thought this was something you could tell me, I can only imagine what you think you can't."

"Even if there was more, what makes you think I would tell you after the way you reacted?" Delphine faces the vampire head-on; if she can't deny it, she can certainly be brutally honest. "I'm just the fucking messenger. I had no part in that."

"Did I scare you?" Cosima asks and there's a glint of satisfaction in her eyes, still dangerously bright blue. They've not returned to their natural brown color since Delphine laid eyes on her after arriving at this godforsaken bar. "Good! You should be scared! I'll be the least of your problems if what you've told me gets out."

"Is that a threat?" The doctor asks in a firm voice and steps a little closer to the vampire and those actions alone are a clear indication that she doesn't feel the least bit threatened by the creature standing before her and that could very well be her biggest mistake. The memory of Cosima's fury is still present, her hands are still trembling slightly, and yet here she is, tempting another outburst.

"It's a statement of a fact!" Cosima corrects her, meeting the other woman's gaze. "You'd better hope this doesn't find its way to the rest of your patients or, even worse, to those who refused treatment. They've been waiting for just one small opportunity to shut it down - and I don't mean peacefully - and you just gave them an colossal one."

"Me?! I had nothing to do with it," Delphine defends, she doesn't like the way she's been lumped in with the others. "I'm just a cog in the machine."

"You were!" The vampire answers fast. "You were always one of them, but now… with your new position…" Cosima shakes her head. "Don't think they don't know what's going on in there, who works where."

"You're suggesting the vampires have a mole inside the Institute?" The blonde frowns and steps back to give herself some room to think.

"I'm saying they have ways of knowing things," Cosima says. "Clearly not everything."

_No, not everything. Not even half of it._  Whoever the informant is, it's got to be someone low level, a security guard on the floors above ground, or perhaps someone who works at the cafeteria. With the lab coats having different colors to identify who works in which area, it's not hard to know who's who. It's no secret that DYAD has a research wing, that they still work to  _improve_ their formula. What's not known is what  _improvement_  means. While humans consider it a progress, if the vampire community discovers what they're aiming at, the retaliation would be formidable, and most likely, violent. If the sterilization program becomes public, there's no saying what could happen.

"I thought you were different, Delphine, I really did."

The doctor hears the vampire say in a soft voice and raises her eyes to look at her. Head dipped, shaking slowly.

"When we first met… I was thinking to myself that you didn't belong there," Cosima confesses not meeting the taller woman's stare. "You were so casual about the whole thing, like you… I don't know…" she stops and laughs bitterly again. "I mean… I wasn't entirely wrong, right? You  _are_ different, just not for the better."

"You are oversimplifying things," Delphine says and there's an uncomfortable squeeze in her chest. "This is more complex than good guys versus bad guys. "

"Am I now?" The vampire mocks and finally raises her head to meet the blonde's eyes. "Well, let me tell you, from my experience - and I'm going out on a limb here, and say it's more extensive than yours - things are always pretty damn simple. But humans add these conditions, these variables, to make them feel better, and clear their conscience to sleep well at night. So I'm sorry if I'm saying a big 'fuck you' to your 'it's not us versus them bullshit'. Because it absolutely is! There's only one side trying to control the other."

"Right! Because your kind is so fucking pacific!" Delphine is fuming, the vampire's words hit a vulnerable nerve deep inside her. "You never attacked anyone indiscriminately. You never killed without thinking of the consequences. You've never left entire families broken by your irrational bloodlust!"

Cosima seems startled by the abrupt explosion, the anger in her words, the passion in her expression, the blazing fire in her bright hazel eyes. And Delphine doesn't back down seeing the vampire take a step back, retreating in her argument.

"Don't preach to me about sleeping well at night," she continues even more firmly. "Don't assume I don't know what I'm talking about! Not when you have no idea what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night screaming in terror, afraid they've come back to finish what they started. Or feel your heart jump every time there's the smallest noise coming from the other room."

"Delphine, I… I didn't…" Cosima tries to stretch her hand, but it's immediately swatted away.

"No, you didn't know and you shouldn't need to," Delphine interrupts her angrily, annoyed by feeling tears cloud her sight. "And  _still_ I know the difference between you and them, I still know that not all of you are the same. I know that earlier when instinct took over you didn't enjoy it, it wasn't something you wanted or provoked." Delphine continues, emotion pressing her voice that she struggles to keep steady. "But perhaps I was wrong since you clearly won't extend me the same courtesy." She walks quickly to the door, not wanting to give the vampire time to react, taking the opportunity that Cosima remains shellshocked. "Maybe I should thank you for showing me that!"

Delphine leaves and slams the door shut.

* * *

 

Marion Bowles has her legs stretched on her long, white leather couch. She sips a very nice Pinot Noir that her latest conquest, currently in the shower, had the good judge to bring. She's reviewing some reports of the latest test results, unfortunately showing little improvement, when her laptop, placed on top of her glass dining table, beeps, informing her of an income call.

She sighs, annoyed by the interruption, but knowing that if anyone had the audacity to importunate her at home, it must be urgent. So she gets up, goes to the bedroom and slips on the red silk robe and sits in front of the computer.

"Yes!" She demands, accepting the call from the head of security.

The rough looking man stammers for an instant upon seeing the barely covered woman. "We found something that might interest you," he eventually blurts out. "It's about one of your scientists…"

"And..?" Marion says, her irritation rises when the man doesn't go straight to the point.

"I'm sending you some files," he then says, scratching his dark, well-kept beard. "If you could open them it will be easier to understand."

Marion momentarily disregards the suggestion that this man would assume she needs pictures to understand anything, feeling a pinch of curiosity. She opens her inbox and clicks on the  _.jpeg_  files the man has sent her. Screenshots of what she recognizes as their tracking software, but she has little patience to analyze each of the several maps that fill her computer screen one after another as she clicks on the forward button.

"What am I look at?" Marion finally sounds slightly more amicable.

"Earlier today I noticed one our subjects… err… 324B21," he pauses to read the ID tag, "she was near the registered residence of a scientist of yours… a Dr. Delphine Cormier," he reads the name again, this time with an horrendous accent.

"So?" Marion hates when people just won't get to the point and this man is about to find out how much if he doesn't explain himself fast. As far as she knows 324B21 is one of their best assets: the oldest of her kind in the program and extremely cooperative, aside from a setback here and there. She's the model test subject.

"Well… she was not just passing by…" he finally gets to it, his hesitation of being the barer of bad news gone after seeing the impatience in his superior's gaze. "She stood there for quite some time, nearly 30 minutes. And I took the liberty to check the backlog to see if this was recurrent behavior."

Now he has Marion's full attention. "Okay…" She encourages.

"Several passes by the building in the last few months, when before it wasn't part of her regular or even semi-regular route. On one occasion the subject moved to the area fast and remained there a significant amount of time," he tells her, with his eyes on his notes. "Not as regularly recently, not until tonight."

The woman goes quiet for a while, drinking her wine in small sips, she thinks about what was said. She hates to jump to conclusions, likes hard evidences before she has to make a decision. It's only fair, after all when one finds himself in Marion's black list it never ends well to the trespasser. While this certainly looks suspicious, it's hardly enough to draw any definitive conclusions.

"Do you want us to capture the subject?" The man suggests after a long silence. "Bring her in for questioning?"

Marion knows very well what sort of questioning he's suggesting and while it might be proven efficient, she has a peculiar distaste for those barbaric methods. Perhaps this time it won't be necessary.

"No!" She instructs after finishing her wine. "I think this situation requires a little more finesse."


	13. Twelfth

Cosima feels tense, in a constant state of alert. Her body and mind refuse to relax in the days that follow her meeting with Delphine, and the feeling only grows, despite the amount of weed she smokes. She has tried to impair herself, forcing her mind to shut down, her body to loosen, but as soon as the effect of the herb goes away, she's back to where she started, if not worse. Days go by too fast for her liking, the date for her next appointment at DYAD approaches quickly and the closer it gets, the worse Cosima feels.

For a moment she wonders if it's the secondary effect of the inoculation, but dismisses that thought when she remembers that this is the first time it's happened to her. She has never felt this way in the few days preceding her scheduled consultation, and the only valid explanation she finds is the information that Delphine has given her. Apparently, waiting to voluntarily inject more poison into her bloodstream is something she doesn't feel quite comfortable with.

In these past days, Cosima has given a lot of thought to what her former doctor said. Part of her feels guilty about judging Delphine so harshly. If it's true what the human has said, and if, in fact, she had no knowledge of the full extent of the effects of the inoculation, then she is as free of guilt as Cosima herself. But, on the other hand, the vampire's instinct tells her that Delphine wasn't entirely honest with her; that there's more to it than what the doctor has shared with Cosima, and that is something she can't forgive. If there's more, and Cosima is certain there is, then that was the perfect opportunity for Delphine to tell her, to disclose everything she knows, and instead, she made the conscious decision to keep it from Cosima.

Cosima could consider this decision in light of what Delphine has revealed about her personal life. The vampire is well aware that the victims of the attacks by her species are not just those who lost their lives to satisfy the hunger. Those who are left behind to pick up the pieces of shattered lives are not left untouched by the violence. Or those victims of failed attacks, usually carried out by inexperienced vampires, who, blinded by their thirst, with their senses dulled by the ecstasy, have left their victims in the brink of death, but not quite past it. The reports of said attacks are numerous and, while in the previous eras they were easy to disguise, in a time when technology reigns supreme and every move is watched, this is not so easily covered up.

Whichever situation Delphine experienced, it would've been traumatic, but that's no reason for the blonde to keep what she knows to herself. Not if she's comfortable enough to work in a field where she's surrounded by the same species that attacked her; not if that didn't prevent her from telling Cosima what she did. And definitely not when, even after Cosima had shown the doctor a glance of the beast that lays within her, Delphine still had the strength to push back.

No, there's something different about Delphine. She's no victim, or she refuses to label herself as such. But she isn't one of the  _bad guys_ either, at least Cosima doesn't think so. The vampire believes Delphine to be somewhere in the middle, taking no sides, choosing no allies, and in the world they live in this could be the most dangerous position to be in. She should know; Cosima herself sits in that same position. However, there's a significant difference: Cosima has abilities that Delphine's doesn't. Being a vampire, and an old one at that, has granted her a sort of immunity from blatant attacks, keeping undesired attention away. Delphine's is human, there's nothing keeping however feels like it from going after her. The doctor is in a much more vulnerable position than Cosima with no weapons of her own.

This may explain her decision not to tell Cosima all she knows. Information is Delphine's weapon, the only thing she can use to her advantage. Was not telling Cosima a way to protect herself? It could've been, although the vampire doesn't know what she did to cause the doctor to be suspicious of her. It was obvious that Delphine is not intimidated by the old vampire, unafraid to stand her ground and push back when she felt she should. Delphine doesn't feel threatened by Cosima, but she doesn't trust her either. That's the only reasonable explanation the vampire finds for the doctor's actions.

Their previous meeting consumes Cosima's thoughts. Between trying to make sense of the doctor's actions and the information she was given, the vampire had little time to think about her own investigation into the activities of the elders. Not that there's been any new developments. Felix, despite remaining in touch, has said nothing regarding Shay's suspicious getaways. While Alison's contact has only called the nervous vampire trying to arrange a new way for them to "meet up and pick up where we left off", to which Alison has politely declined with an awkward laugh.

The day of her appointment, Cosima makes herself leave the house in the afternoon, after delaying as much as she could, intent on continuing her treatment, despite what Delphine has said. After all, the doctor had painted an ugly picture of what would happen if she missed it.

She stands in front of the imposing building, watching patients, like herself, come and go and she hesitates. Cosima walks in the direction of the front door only to step back and return to the sidewalk on the other side of the busy street.

Half an hour later, she's walking away. She can't, in good conscience, keep doing this to herself; not after what she knows. Cosima has been fighting one addiction for two years now, something that's essential to her survival. The beast inside her is demanding, and it's never been easy to keep herself from caving to the bloodlust, even with the shots. They keep her alive, but do very little to quash a hunger that is always present, waiting for a moment of weakness to come out and control her. Surely, this won't be worse. If Cosima can fight against her nature, she can also fight against a need that's been artificial created.

* * *

 

Delphine continues to have problems finding her space within her own research team. They look at her sideways with a depreciating frown at every suggestion she makes in order to improve the formula and find success.

It's a weird balance, and she doesn't know how long she can sustain it. If it's true that she doesn't believe in the work she is involved in, it's no less important to continue to show interest for it, being the only way to maintain the position she is in now. Despite the fact that there are several teams working on different projects, they are not self-contained. If she justifies it, Delphine can have access to other projects, even if heavily redacted, all because of her newly appointed position.

She feels incredibly frustrated with this whole situation, but it isn't until she gets home that she allows that frustration to come out, for no one to see. It doesn't get better when Ferdinand is starting to breathe down her neck. After she was given the promotion, he's been more demanding. He wants access to all the projects, all the formulas, information on all personnel involved. And while she has been able to give him information regarding her own project and team, the others have been proven difficult to obtain. Not surprising, security is tight, making it impossible for Delphine to waltz out of DYAD with such sensitive information.

She had agreed to work for  _The Company_ as a means to an end. It was the easiest and fastest way for her to infiltrate DYAD, knowing that with them in her corner she would rise quickly. However, in her eagerness, she'd misstepped, hadn't considered what they would require from her. She was thoroughly convinced she could stay out of the petty rivalry between DYAD and  _The Company_ , she had no horse in that race. Delphine didn't consider that in using one to infiltrate the other, she was already taking sides in a battle she would prefer to see them both lose.

She's bent over the microscope, observing another failure, the vampire's blood cells being vaporized by yet another  _improvement_  to the formula that's proven too strong, when one of the security guards of the floor calls her name on the other side of the table.

"Dr. Bowles has requested your presence in her office," the massive man says without another word.

"Did she mention what for?" Delphine asks, snapping off her latex gloves, hiding her concern.

"On the top floor, Dr. Cormier," he states mechanically and turns around.

It's not the fact that Marion wants to talk with her that is unusual; Delphine talks with her superior daily. It's where that leaves her uneasy. Marion, for the most part, spends her days in the basement lab with the other scientists, supervising their work, and making herself available for any questions they might have. The only time Delphine's been to the upstairs office was when she was offered the promotion, nearly one month ago.

The same redhead woman is sitting at the desk in front of Marion's office smiles at her, one of those well practiced smiles that manages to reveal absolutely nothing.

"Go right ahead," the secretary says in a pleasant, low voice. "Dr. Bowles is waiting for you."

Delphine thanks the woman with a forced smile of her own and knocks on the door twice before letting herself in.

Marion's sitting behind her desk and raises her head to look at the other woman, gesturing with her hand for Delphine to take the seat on the other side of the table. The blonde does so and waits while Marion finishes reading whatever is in front of her and signs on the bottom of the page, closing the folder after and crossing her arms on top of it.

"Delphine, it has come to my attention that you've been experiencing some… difficulties working with your colleagues," Marion starts in a clear, disciplined voice.

Delphine takes a short moment to decide what to say. If she lies and denies it, it would be easily disproved, especially when it's obvious that someone has already spoken with Marion. But, if she confirms it, it could very well mean the end of her short promotion, her boss is not about to dismiss everyone who's worked in the project for so long in favor of its junior member.

"There have been some issues regarding the road to take," Delphine admits, playing it down. "But it's something I'm sure it's due to my adaptation to the team," she adds immediately. "I'll be more careful in the future."

Marion sits back and crosses her legs. "I don't know if I want that," she says in the same calm voice. "Far be it for me to be the one who's going to censure your work. It would be silly, you see, there's a reason why there are several people working on the same research and not only one. Different perspectives means a wider vision of the problem," she continues, the palms of her hands up on stretched arms. "Besides, we want our collaborators to thrive, and censoring different ideas is not a good way to run any sort of business, let alone the type of work we do here, where divergent opinions can be proven very fruitful."

Marion stops and her eyes land with intensity on the young doctor, waiting some sort of response. It could be a trap, Delphine reasons, a set up to see how far she's willing to go in the way she disagrees with her co-workers. Or maybe Marion's being candid, she certainly sounds that way and her arguments are compelling.

"I agree." Delphine takes a calculated risk, nodding her head slowly, her stare holds the other woman's. "But I also know that it can create unnecessary friction and, if that's the case, I'll start keeping my opinions to myself."

Marion chuckles softly and shakes her head. "No, no, no… I appreciate the offer, but that won't be necessary," she says, reaching for a stack of folders on the left side of her desk. "In fact I want just the opposite."

She slides the folders until they rest in front of the blonde, who looks at them with a curious raised brow. "According to several reports, you've expressed the need to explore the possibility of tackling the problem taking in consideration the…" she moves her eyes to the computer screen, " _individual conditions of each patient_ ", she reads.

Delphine sits more on the edge of her seat. "That's correct," she says. "I believe, that considering the heterogeneous quality of the group, we shouldn't be studying them as a whole."

Marion's lips twist up in a small smile. "Basically what you're implying is that we should design a cure for each of our subjects individually," the woman puts it blatantly. "Now, as you're probably aware, you won't find many advocates for this position. For one, it would be an impossible task. Even if we only consider those who've been registered on the databases around the world, we are still talking about tens of thousands of individuals." She points out, not in a dismissively way, but exposing the problem that they face. "And on the other hand, this would be economically unviable, the number of scientists involved in such a massive project would make it extremely expensive. The government is willing to spend money to solve this problem, but there is a limit."

"I'm very well aware why this idea would sound so unappealing," Delphine says, allowing some of her irritation to show.

"Quite!" Marion sounds decisive for a moment, but in just a split second something changes in her expression and it becomes more affable again. "And yet, I do see merit in it. And while it doesn't present us with a long term solution, I think it's something worth exploring."

Marion lowers her eyes to the folders she has parked in front of Delphine. "Those are the files of patients I'm leaving to your care, seven in total," the older woman continues in her strong voice. "If your research shows promising breakthroughs, we'll widen the net and I'll put a couple more scientists working with you, under your supervision, but for now you're on your own."

Delphine looks suspiciously at the pile of files, but she doesn't touch them. "And I answer to no one but you?"

"That's right! In fact, I would prefer if we keep this between just the two of us for now. I'll talk with your team and inform them that you were assigned to another project," Marion explains and then, seeing the young scientist hesitating, she laughs freely. "Relax, Dr. Cormier! This is good news for you! If you succeed we can use your research in the future and if you fail… well, it won't come as a surprise to anyone."

Delphine cocks her brown, still not entirely convinced. "And I'll have all the access to these patients?" She finishes by tapping on top of the folders.

Marion nods. "You'll need their blood samples, of course, and I'm also giving you all the information we've collected since they've come to us, as well as the steps of their treatments." She says persuasively, a large smile on her lips as she notices the blonde finally convinced. "This will be  _your_  project."

The older woman guides Delphine back down to the laboratory floor, the blonde carries the files in her arms, close to her chest and places them on the top of the table in the small corner space that she'll call her office from that moment on. Other scientists on the floor observe the movements, some openly showing displeasure, but no one dares to question what's happening, not while Marion Bowles is the one leading the young doctor.

Eyes are still on Delphine when Marion leaves and she curses under her breath for the absence of doors and walls that would guard her from those snide stares, while she sits on the ergonomic, white leather chair behind a big white desk. She looks at the folders still stacked on top of each other and that Marion has made abundantly clear that are not to leave the institute premises, and she decides to give them one first glance before she has to leave for the day. She wants to know how long these patients have been in the program, thinking that the longer the better and also needs to know who she has to talk to in order to obtain the blood samples.

As promised, there are seven of them, the thickness of the folder vary, depending on how long they have signed into the program. Dirty yellow, with a white label on top of the front of the folder, their identification number is scribbled by different hands. Three of them are familiar, former patients of Delphine when she first started to work at DYAD, but her eyes remain pinned on one alone.  _324B21_.


	14. Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: just wanna give a shout out to my beta, Cophine, who continues to do such a great job with my stories!

All the files of her new patients are accounted for, all the information available to Delphine, just as Marion had promised. She can easily see why these were the vampires selected for the study: all of them have been in the program since it started, all showing impeccable attendance for their appointments.

All but one.

Cosima missed her last appointment, two weeks ago, and Delphine thinks it must be a mistake. The vampire had assured her that she would continue with the treatment, despite her recently acquired knowledge of its actual intent. Perhaps the doctor who took over for her isn't as meticulous as Delphine in record keeping. Still, it's something that Delphine wants to clear up as soon as possible.

The next morning, the first thing she does is to go to her old office to speak with her replacement, Dr. O'Brien. She knocks on the door, knowing he is probably free - her experience having taught her that the schedule generally becomes hectic in the afternoon, when most of the patients show up at once. She'll have plenty of time to confer with a man she's yet to meet.

However, it's a familiar face that greets her at the door.

"Delphine…" her former assistant greets her with a warm hug.

"Krystal, how's the new doctor treating you?" Delphine says, accepting the invitation to enter the otherwise empty office.

"I miss you every day," the other woman complains with her characteristic lightness.

"That bad, huh?" Delphine says, looking around, noticing that not much has changed, but still feeling out of place.

"I mean… he's alright," Krystal shrugs slightly, seating herself on one of the two chairs reserved for the patients. "But he's… I don't know… cold. Not that that is anything new. I guess you spoiled me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the doctor replies with candor, taking the seat next to Krystal.

The bubbly blonde waves her wrist, as if it's nothing to worry about. "So, what brings you here? Tired of working with the big shots already?"

"Something more serious, I'm afraid," Delphine says, pausing, wanting to pose her question in the subtlest way possible. "I'm sure it's just a mistake, but I still need to be sure."

Krystal's disposition shifts a little, becoming more serious. "Oh?"

"I was looking over 324B21's file… uhm… Niehaus," there's no other way to say it, "and there's no record of her last appointment."

"Oh, that's no mistake," Krystal answers, shaking her head and not hiding her disappointment. "She never made it. I was surprised too, it doesn't seem like her."

"Ever?" Delphine presses. "Not even the next few days? She could've come by when she wasn't scheduled and Dr. O'Brien might've forgotten to introduce her data."

Delphine tries to find an explanation, a reason why the record could be wrong, but her former assistant continues to shake her head.

"Nope. The last time she came her appointment was with you," Krystal assures her. "How come you're looking into her records anyway? She's no longer your patient," she adds when Delphine remains silent.

"Orders from up the chain," the doctor answers vaguely. "I need a blood sample from her the next time she comes in."

"I'm sure she'll come around," Krystal replies hopefully. "From my experience, they seldom miss two appointments in a row. I'm just surprised that Cosima would do that."

"Yes, she never did before," Delphine plays along, pretending to share the other woman's hopefulness.

But she knows better. Cosima missing her appointment after the conversation they had is no coincidence. Clearly, the vampire had a change of heart and that doesn't bode well for her. If Cosima has been without her injection for this long, she's already beginning to feel the effects of abstinence, nausea and weakness. If she goes another full month without, the pain will be substantial, accompanied by muscle spasms that can be incapacitating. Slowly, Cosima will lose her physical capabilities, and her mind will soon follow.

"Next time she comes, make sure to get a blood sample," Delphine says as she rises and moves toward the door.

She'd like to have a word with Cosima, but she won't dare suggest it to Krystal. Even if she thought she could trust the closest person she has to a friend, the idea of meeting the vampire at DYAD is a bad one. For all she knows, these walls could have ears.

Delphine gets to work and tries not to think about it, working around Cosima's absence. All the other patients are accounted for, and she manages to make some progress with the samples she has, at least for now. The doctor still hopes Cosima will come around; that this is nothing but a misstep on her part. She hopes the vampire comes back before the side effects become more severe. She hopes, but she doesn't believe.

Another week passes and even that shred of hope is gone. Becoming impatient, Delphine calls Krystal, and the answer she gets confirms her fears. Cosima hasn't come, hasn't said anything and there's no sign she ever will. And when the vampire misses her next appointment, Delphine is left with her hands tied; she needs to bring it up to her superiors. She doesn't like the idea, but it will be even worse if she says nothing and they find out some other way - if they don't know it already and Delphine's sure they do. If the doctor remains quiet regarding Cosima's missing it will attract unnecessary attention to herself.

She hesitates near the opening of the division of the space that for all purposes is Marion's downstairs office, still trying to find some other way.

"Delphine. Is everything alright?" The woman has spotted her lingering and calls her.

"Not quite," Delphine answers and approaches the desk.

"Well, your latest reports show some promising results," Marion says, extending an arm and inviting the young scientist to take a seat. "I know it's still too early, but still…"

"Oh no… the research is fine," Delphine replies and sits. "However, I'm sure you've noticed that one particular patient is not mentioned."

"Yes, I've seen it…" Marion comments absently, her eyes shifting to her computer screen, clicking a few times on the mouse button. "Uh… 324B21 is without data."

Delphine nods, not convinced by the other woman's performance. "That's because she has missed her two last appointments with Dr. O'Brien."

Marion reclines comfortably in her chair and crosses her hands on her lap. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do," she says. "As you know, they don't give out information regarding their whereabouts, and the program is voluntary. We can't force them to come in."

"Right!" Delphine's act remains, knowing that she needs to play along. "But you know where they are all the time from the tracking device in their chips. If you want, you can find her."

"That information is strictly confidential, Delphine," the other woman says without so much as a blink. "We must protect our patients' privacy."

_Then why do you have them?_ Delphine thinks, but doesn't say it aloud. "So there's nothing we can do!" Is what she says instead.

"Unfortunately!" Marion raises both her arms, feigning helplessness. "You should carry on with the study with the six you have left. It's the best advice I have to offer."

Later, back in her house, the more Delphine thinks about it, the more she's convinced Cosima's in trouble. If not from the lack of treatment, definitely because she'll have DYAD hot on her trail. For the moment, they might've chosen to wait it out, see how far the old vampire can handle herself without the shots, but sooner rather than later, they'll send their well-oiled machine after her. When they do, Cosima will have no place to hide - the chip under her skin will see to that.

Delphine thinks for a moment about bringing The Company's efforts to her aid. They'd certainly welcome Cosima into their ranks, find some use for her, but when the doctor considers what that might mean, she discards the idea. Not only does she doubt Cosima would agree to that, but she also suspects The Company's motivations are no less obscure than those of DYAD's.

In reality, she should stay out of it, it's the smartest decision for her sake. However, Delphine feels responsible for what's happening. If she hadn't warned Cosima about what was going on behind the scenes, surely the vampire wouldn't have altered her routine, would've remained in the program, as she had for the last two years.

Unfortunately Delphine couldn't, in good conscience, allow it to continue. Why she had developed a conscience regarding only that particular patient is something Delphine is not ready to analyze in depth, but she has good suspicions. The charming creature has managed to capture her interest. She found herself worrying about Cosima's wellbeing, her future, and what it might mean for the vampire to proceed with the treatment. Delphine even suspects she unconsciously wanted Cosima's reaction to be exactly this. But not this way; not cold turkey without a backup plan and do something that will jeopardize not only her health but also her safety.

It's nearly 11 pm when Delphine makes a decision that, while reckless, it's also necessary. She dresses quickly in a pair of old, faded jeans and a dark wool sweater. Something that won't attract much attention. She pins her hair on the back of her neck and, as an afterthought, reminded of her first encounter with the vampire, she reaches for an army green scarf that she wraps around her neck. Phone in one pocket of her black, leather jacket, house keys in another as she ventures outside.

Going out at night, in and of itself, doesn't represent a risk, but there are some areas a smart person knows to avoid. Delphine doesn't consider herself stupid, but this time she must do a stupid thing.

Despite her best attempt, she still attracts more than a few stares, just as she did some weeks ago when she marched these same streets. And like before, she keeps to herself, her steps not faltering when a holler comes out from a dark corner, walking determined to her destination.

There are a few people smoking outside the ill-reputed bar. Blue eyes shine in her direction, and a few shining white fangs are presented to her, trying to intimidate her and Delphine is well aware that her presence has been noticed. There's no way to conceal her being human.  _The Nightcrawler_  is a well known establishment amongst the non-human community, as well as the human, although for entirely different reasons. While for the first is considered a safe haven, a place to mingle without being harassed by humans; to these is known as a place to stay away from, to avoid at all costs if one cherishes life.

Regardless, it's the only place Delphine knows she can get in contact with the vampire; the only place outside of DYAD she knows Cosima has ties to. So, she sucks it up, avoids making eye contact, and walks to the counter. The young woman behind it it's currently attending one of the costumers, smiling and shoving the big man's shoulder playfully. But as soon as Delphine takes one of the free stools, the woman turns to her and the smile fades, replaced with a discontented frown.

Delphine has never met a lycan in person, but she knows immediately that's what is walking towards her after staring in her direction for a few moments.

"Have a death wish?" The werewolf asks in a rough voice and a crooked smirk.

"I'm looking for someone," Delphine says in a steady voice, hiding well how intimidated she's really feeling.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be here for our luxurious environment," the woman answers with obvious amusement. "But she's not here."

Upon seeing the confused expression, the werewolf leans forward on the wooden bar. "I recognized your lovely scent from the first time you were here," she says with a conspiratorial lilt. "It took forever for the stench to dissipate."

Delphine frowns. "Oh…" she mumbles when the information sinks in.

"Yeah…" the woman pushes herself away from the counter. "Anyway, I think you lost your time coming here," she says over her shoulder, already moving to the next client.

"I need to get to her!" Delphine says over the cacophony of voices. She's already here, so there's no point in being cautious. "It's urgent!" She presses when the werewolf doesn't seem interested.

But this time the brunette with long wavy hair looks back, cocking a brow and hesitates for a moment.

"If you could at least tell me where I could find her," Delphine insists, noticing that she has gotten to her.

The werewolf looks over her suspiciously and then releases a deep, exasperated breath, shaking her head. "Hold on here for a minute," she instructs. "Try not to get eaten!" She throws over her shoulder before disappearing through a back door.

Delphine feels exposed. She's perfectly aware that she's the center of attention inside the dark bar; feeling the stares, whispered words, a few predatory smirks aimed her way. As subtly as she can, she looks around the space, looking for someone else in charge, but, as far as she can tell, the bar is completely unattended. And yet, no one makes a move in her direction, no one tries to approach her with dark intentions. When the young woman returns, with an older one in tow, all is exactly as it was when she left.

"Follow me," The older woman says in a soft, calm voice to Delphine, who's quick to abandon her stool, eager to leave the public venue and find a more private setting. They cross the same door and enter a somewhat long corridor that ends in steep stairs which lead to an upper level.

"I'm Siobhan," the woman says once they are alone. "And that was Sarah. You'll have to excuse her manners. She doesn't care for your kind.".

"Delphine," the doctor answers, and continues to follow the older werewolf's steps. "It's quite alright. I understand why she wouldn't like humans. Most of the time, I don't like them either."

"I meant DYAD," Siobhan deadpans and then laughs. "But yes, humans too, I guess. Or anyone, really." She stops by a heavy looking iron door, the hand on the handle, but she doesn't twist it open. "What do you want with Cosima?"

Delphine hesitates. She's still thinking about how Siobhan chose to describe herself and the younger wolf, and this question, while expected, was not an easy one to answer. The woman looks her in the eyes, a dark stare that doesn't relent, inspecting the doctor with caution. It goes against Delphine's instincts to be entirely honest with anyone, but more so when she has no idea if they're trustworthy, someone she just met. Still, she knows that the woman standing before her is not the type she can outmaneuver with a cleaver excuse.

"I'm worried about her," Delphine replies honestly. "She has been missing her appointments."

"I fail to see how does that concern you," Siobhan comments in an unfriendly manner. "Cosima made the decision to enroll in your little experiment freely, shouldn't she be free to leave whenever she wants as well?"

"It's a little more complicated than that." This time Delphine decides to keep some things from the other woman, for now. "I'm not here to force her back into the program, but I still need to talk to her."

"If that's not what you're here for, then what?"

The werewolf is relentless in her questions, obviously not trusting Delphine. Even so, the doctor suspects this sort of animosity is not directed at her personally, but rather because this woman has taken it upon herself to defend the vampire's interests. And this is certainly unexpected. The relationship between Lycans and vampires has been forged in blood and violence; rivals since the beginning of time as they competed for the same prey. While there have been calmer periods, lasting truces we're never achieved. In fact, the closest they've come is now, with a mere pact of nonaggression. They've never been known to work together, let alone being on friendly terms.

"You care about her," Delphine observes, changing her approaching strategy. "You're worried about her safety."

"So?" Siobhan shrugs, but she's curious.

"Some people would think that unbelievable; a werewolf looking out for the wellbeing of a vampire," the doctor continues in a serene voice. "Certainly less credible than a doctor showing concern about a former patient."

Siobhan's lips stretch in a small smile and she finally opens the door. "My problems are not with you personally, but with the people you work for," she says, entering the same room where Delphine met Cosima previously.

"So are mine!" Delphine says assertively. "Our interests are the same here, Siobhan. Cosima could be in danger, most likely she is already. If you care for her the way I think you do, you'll find a way to bring her to me."

The werewolf remains suspicious, Delphine's still to earn her trust despite her compelling arguments and she's running out of things to say to convince Siobhan.

"When was the last time you saw Cosima?" Delphine asks in a final attempt to tip the scales in her favor. "When was the last time you talked with her in person or otherwise?"

A glimpse of recognition crosses the werewolf's dark eyes, concern, almost fear flashes through her features.

"Wait here," Siobhan says and her voice is stressed with worry. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

 

Under normal circumstances, at this hour, Marion would be in bed, resting for an early start next morning, and not in a conference call with her chief of security. But things don't always work out the way she wants or predicts, no matter how she tries to make it so.

She knew that having Delphine followed would be useful, but she didn't think it would take the young doctor so long to make her move. She was more patient than Marion expected, but the bottom line was correct. Marion also hadn't predicted that Delphine would come to her with the information regarding Cosima's missed appointments. Perhaps she had underestimated the doctor's ability to play the game of cat and mouse. Even so, Marion has experience on her side, has been at it for much longer.

This is the only reason why she's up, sitting in bed with the computer on her lap, talking with the chief of security while he remains in contact with his man in the field.

Delphine left her house at exactly 11:08 pm, and briskly walked the darkened streets until she entered  _The Nightcrawler_  at 11:33. Marion is familiar with the place, she wouldn't be very good at her job if she wasn't. However, and more importantly, is that the place is a recurrent hang out of Cosima, and this tells Marion two things. The first is that Delphine has no idea that every move she makes is reported back to her superior. The second is that the young doctor is not nearly as smart as she thinks she is.

"What do you want us to do now, Dr. Bowles?" The man sounds invasively loud in her speakers. "Should we intervene?"

"No." Marion answers and she smiles, having no issues admitting she likes when her uneventful life takes a more exciting turn. "Now we wait!"


	15. Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this update is long overdue; so sorry for that. The updates should become more frequent since I only have two stories to worry about now, also this story should be picking up in the next few chapters.
> 
> As always, thanks to my beta, her work is deeply appreciated. Also to SpookyCj for providing the much needed brainstorm.

The pain is almost unbearable. It keeps Cosima sleepless and secluded at home with the drapes closed, submerged in a darkness that she hopes will help mask the agony.

She never thought there could be a worse feeling than what she experienced when she trained her mind and body to forgo the regular doses of blood. In those days Cosima experienced real suffering for the first time, even considering her difficult upbringing - or perhaps her early life had been so long ago that she had all but forgotten, retreated to the dark spaces of her mind. Either way, as far as she can remember, that primal hunger tearing her up inside, clawing its way out, had been the worst period she had endured… until now.

The hunger is there, gnawing at her mercilessly, back with a vengeance for being neglected for too long. Along with it comes the physical pain. It starts as barely a thing, a constant, unrelenting tension in her muscles that Cosima can almost ignore.

However, as time passes and she continues without treatment, it begins to escalate. A soreness at first, as if she had been a victim of a violent beating, her bones ached like they've been broken and then it as if they were being shattered, over and over again. After a few days the muscles spasms begin, the cramps seizing the largest muscles of her body. Through it all, she's feeling constantly queasy and unable to eat. In her mind, only one remedy seems viable to make it all go away:  _blood_.

Blood holds the solution to her problems.

Despite her weakness, Cosima's still able to drag herself out of bed, determined to put an end to her suffering. So for the first time in years, she goes out on the hunt. She's particular about the place and target, knowing that most of her strength is abandoning her. She chooses to wait near a college campus, late at night, where she knows she will find an unsuspecting student, returning from a night of partying in the city.

Hidden in the shadows of a side wall, with her eyes on the entrance, she waits for her prey. During that time the vampire contemplates the end of the code of conduct she had adopted in her early days: no victims; only volunteers. It was an easy code to abide by when one is healthy and able to captivate a willing blood supplier, not so much when she's literally dying for a meal.

The perfect target comes along after only twenty minutes of waiting, Cosima confident that the end of the pain is near, that her luck is about to turn. A small girl, close to her own height, visibly drunk, approaching with unsteady steps the gate. Cosima moves slowly and silently, preferring a stealth attack to catch the girl by surprise, making more difficult for the human to fight back.

There is no time for the victim to scream, Cosima may be weak, but she's still an experienced hunter. She pierces soft, fragile skin even before the vampire's arms wrap the girl's torso from behind, to keep her in place. With the first gulp Cosima can feel her strength return, he arms hold the weakening body more tightly, pulling her closer. But something's not right. It's like the blood rots in her mouth, the stench of decomposing flesh fills her nostrils.

Cosima has barely taken a few swallows when she's pushing the girl away and bends over herself, hurling what she had consumed onto the grass covered ground. The human, shaking off the shocked stupor, runs away screaming, entering the building. Cosima only has time to go to her feet, still feeling nauseous and makes herself scarce before the police arrive.

She gets home as quickly as she can, which is not very fast to begin with. Cosima has spent a great deal of dwindling energy in the failed attack. Confusion grips her mind, whatever went wrong had nothing to do with the victim. The girl was drunk, but it wasn't the first time the vampire had blood laced with alcohol, in fact, unless the person was completely impaired, it was usually a pleasant experience. Cosima enjoyed the light buzz it came with it, like topping an appetizing meal with a great vintage. No, it's something inside her that prevents her from getting what she most needs.

After that, Cosima spends hours lost in delirium, the few times the pain gives her some fleeting reprieve and she can close her eyes, she dreams of gorging herself, make up for lost time. However, when she's fully conscious that idea brings back memories of the attack, the disgusting taste of rotten blood touches her tongue and it is enough to dissuade her from giving it another try. And she keeps getting weaker, each day that passes without blood sees what's left of her strength leave her, the excruciating pain increase.

Still, most of the time Cosima is yet to fully lose control of her faculties. She's still capable to assure Alison, albeit through a closed door, that everything is okay and keep Felix away. Several times throughout the last weeks they've tried to contact her, their investigation into the elders activities is still ongoing but Cosima has other priorities, she doesn't trust herself to leave the house in her condition.

She has decided to wait it out, perhaps after the drugs leave her system, she'll be fully restored, her strength will return. She has come to terms with the idea of losing the sun again, as long as she can get back to what she was before she started the treatment.

However, she only gets weaker, the periods of derangement are becoming more frequent, and she knows she's running out of time soon, the beast will take over and control every aspect of her existence, controlling her every thought and she no longer has the energy or the lucidity to make it stop. She's becoming the beast. Cosima is losing her mind.

With her drapes fully closed and slipping in and out of conscience, Cosima has lost the notion of time, of night and day. On her bed, fully covered, she shivers with a cold that she can't keep away because it's born within her. Her mind dangles between fiction and reality. In the distance she hears the phone ringing, but she isn't sure if it's reality or imagination. She doesn't move as the loud, annoying ring continues for what feels like hours.

Delphine looks around herself. The storage room hasn't changed since she was here last, perhaps another layer of dust covers the abandoned furniture. She stands awkwardly in the middle of the enclosed space, glancing at her watch every other minute. Five minutes pass and she's still all by herself, locked inside as far as she knows. Ten minutes. When exactly seventeen minutes have passed she walks to the door, ready to test her theory about being locked, but it swings open fast, nearly hitting her forehead.

"Something's wrong!" Sarah storms in with a flustered expression and a concerned frown of her brows. "She's not answering her phone."

After this, Sarah crosses the room and goes to the door that leads outside, an obvious urgency in her movements. Delphine blinks a few times, after long minutes of inactivity, this urgency catches her entirely by surprise, staring blankly to the open door and the darkness that comes from the alley.

"Well? C'mon!" Sarah's head appears on the threshold, already impatient.

Delphine finally starts to move, walking quickly to keep up with the werewolf. "Where are we going?" She asks as she walks, closing the jacket tightly around her torso.

"We're going to her place, of course," Sarah answers over her shoulder.

The human hesitates, her steps falter. "What if she's not home?"

Sensing the other woman staggering, Sarah turns around. "Cosima's not that interesting," she comments. "She has a pretty standard routine and she does visit us quite often. You got me thinking… I don't remember her not showing up for so long. She needs a steady supply of… something." It's Sarah's time to stammer and she turns back around, restarting to walk.

"Do you supply her with blood?" Delphine asks, reading into the werewolf's hesitation.

"What?!" Sarah looks back. "No! Weed! I'm sorry to inform you, doctor, but your patient is a pothead."

"Oh!" Delphine expels in relief.

She's well aware of Cosima's habit, it would be impossible to ignore it with all the blood work the vampire had undergone. What she was really worried was the possibility of Cosima lying to her regarding her… diet.

They near the corner of the alley into the main street, but before Delphine can reach it a hand presses against her ribs, pushing her back and against the brick wall.

"Shit!" Sarah mutters under her breath, moving quickly to stand very close to Delphine, a subtle menace in her glowing brown eyes. "Tell me you have nothing to do with that!" She demands, her arm aiming at the main road.

"What?!" Delphine asks, confused and slightly scared. "What are you talking about?"

For almost a minute, the werewolf says nothing, studying the doctor's face, searching for the truth. "You've been followed!" She states, deciding to trust the human's words.

"What?!" Delphine whispers, becoming even more confused and tries to peek around the corner to see what Sarah's talking about, but the hand still on her chest prevents her from doing it.

"My guess is that those are your people," Sarah says and moves back, walking in the direction they came from, finding a set of keys in her pocket. "They're not exactly discreet."

"Are you sure about that?" Delphine remains doubtful, but follows Sarah back inside.

"Yeah…" Sarah says, closing the door once Delphine's inside. "You lot have a… distinct smell."

Delphine hums in understanding with an instinctive twist of her nose. "What now?" She asks, still trailing behind Sarah, who has moved to the hall and is now climbing the steps, getting further away from the bar.

"There's another door," she explains, not stopping on her way. "We use it to access the private side of the building. Hopefully that's not being watched."

Delphine makes no other comments as she follows Sarah. They cross the living room, past a low table a stacked with blank sheets of paper and some crayons. The couch is draped with a pink blanket, decorated with cartoon animals, left to be folded by an adult. Next they pass the kitchen and held with magnets are some child's drawings on the fridge. Still, and despite all evidences of a child living here, Delphine doesn't make any comment regarding it, keeping her thoughts to herself, fearing that her interest would be misinterpreted. The doctor senses that she's walking on some very thin ice with these people, any wrong movement or misplaced word could mean the end of the small amount of trust she's earned.

On the front door, Sarah stops her again and peeks outside, only motioning for Delphine to follow her when she's satisfied. They move down a flight of rusted metal stairs and walk a couple of blocks before the werewolf hails a cab and gives the driver an address that's ten minutes away.

At the edge of her mind, Cosima hears a muffled thud. She groans and pulls the covers over her head, the muscles of her arms aching with the simple gesture. But the noise persists, becoming louder and impossible to ignore, but still the vampire doesn't move. After a while, a voice joins the sound, deep and rude, indistinguishable words pressed with a nervous emphasis.

"If you don't open this fucking door, I swear to god, I'll kick it down!" The loud words are joined by a violent thud against wood.

It has one effect, at least. Cosima can identify the obnoxious invader.

"Go away, Sarah!" She tries to yell, uncovering her head, but her voice is too weak to reach the unwelcome visit.

Another kick on the door and then another. Cosima has no doubt the werewolf will make good on her threat. With great effort, Cosima pushes through the pain, every joint of her body hurts as she gets to her feet and, walks to the door, still wrapped in her blanket.

"Alright, alright…" she mumbles in a faint voice, dragging herself across the room.

She finally reaches the door and unlocks it with slow, difficult movements, opening it just a sliver, meaning to only shoo the insistent werewolf away. However, something makes her pause… that smell.

In Cosima's weakened state it took the door to be open for the vampire to sense it, but when it came to her, it's with a sudden force, so unexpectedly that sends her senses into overdrive. Cosima's sight, previously blurred, ignores the werewolf in front of her and immediately locks on the human a couple of steps behind with a clarity that it hasn't had for weeks. Her gaze make a pass over shocked, bright eyes and lands solidly on the rapidly beating pulse in the long, pale neck. Instinctively she takes a step forward, but quickly loses her balance, no longer having the support of the wall next to the door where she was resting her shoulder.

"Whoa there…" Sarah says, her voice almost gentle, reaching out quickly to prevent her from falling. "Where do you think you're going?"

Only then does Cosima looks at Sarah, whose face is equally shocked, staring at her with wide open eyes and raised brows before turning back to look over her shoulder to the doctor.

"What have you done to her?" She accuses in a loud, angry voice.

"I…" Delphine hesitates, her eyes are frozen on the vampire, now held in the werewolf's arms. "She's too weak, let's move her inside," she suggests, carefully giving one step forward to help.

Sarah scoffs. "You think?!"

The werewolf is not interested in her help, strong and agile, Sarah practically lifts the small vampire in her arms and moves back inside the apartment. Sensing Sarah's hostility, Delphine decides to keep her distance, closing the door behind herself and allowing the werewolf to carry Cosima to her bed, staying a few steps behind, but her eyes don't leave the vampire.

Cosima's too pale, her skin wrinkled, her eyes have lost the warm and lively tones of brown and are of a haze blue. She looks smaller somehow, barely able to stand on herself, her shoulders slumped, her spine curved on itself. She's but a sad version of the woman Delphine remembers. And still the menace is there, present by the unsheathed fangs, more pronounced on the shrunken expression.

Delphine has never seen a vampire in such a weakened state. Her previous contact had been with healthy creatures, even though she knows DYAD has in their facilities its fair share of unhealthy ones. She hears rumours of it in the corridors, a team of scientists with high level clearance are responsible for them. What their assignment is, Delphine doesn't know, but now she suspects it might have to do with whatever is wrong with Cosima. Too long without blood or any other viable replacement has had devastating consequences for Cosima's body, her once strong immune system might be compromised, and although Delphine isn't sure how long it will take, she knows they don't have much time before Cosima's body gives up entirely.

"How is she?" Delphine asks, even though the answer is right before her.

"How do you think?" Sarah replies with the same hostility. "What have you done to her?" She repeats.

Delphine shakes her head, wanting to get closer but the werewolf's expression keeps her away. "She's been missing her treatments," she explains, her eyes going again to the vampire, laid on the bed and staring at her with a blank expression. "I assume she hasn't been eaten as well…"

"Why would she do that?" Sarah's voice is getting more concerned than angry.

"I don't know," Delphine answers. "I thought she had gone back to blood, that she…" she stops and continues to shake her head.

None of this makes sense. Delphine was sure that once the subjects left the program they would return to blood consumption, going directly to the source. They need it to survive, like humans need air and, without DYAD's plasma treatment, they have no other option. The reason why Delphine decided to look for Cosima's whereabouts was because she was worried that DYAD would send a team after the vampire and capture her, using the tracker in the chip. Delphine was not expecting to find Cosima half-dead in her apartment.

Frowning, Delphine finds the courage to push pat Sarah and approach Cosima, ignoring Sarah's protests or words of caution. The vampire is too weak to represent a real danger, after all, no matter how hungry she is. Cosima is barely conscious, the energy it took her to get to the door seemed too much for her to handle. Taking the right limp arm in her hands, Delphine feels through cold skin, searching for the chip to see if it's still implanted. There is no scar, but that means very little given the ability for the vampire's cells to regenerate. However, it doesn't take long for Delphine to locate the small protrusion under Cosima's skin and if it's still working, there is no reason for DYAD to not have yet come for her.

This doesn't feel right. Delphine's gut twists with anxiety mixed with fear, wondering what DYAD's playing at, their motivation. She catches herself when she notices her hand rubbing Cosima's arm still, less clinically, more affectionately and let's go of it, pulling it under the covers and making sure the vampire's entire body is covered, except for the head. As she does this Delphine can feel Sarah eyeing her with curiosity, but whatever the werewolf is thinking, she keeps it to herself.

The idea comes to her suddenly and it feels so obvious now, considering what she knows about DYAD and their methods. They must be onto her and they're using Cosima's debilitated condition to catch Delphine red-handed.

"Do you have any way of knowing if those men are still watching your bar?" She asks, turning her head to Sarah.

Sarah understands what she's implying, and without further explanation, pulls the phone out of her pocket. Delphine hears only one side of the conversation with who she assumes is the older werewolf, but it's enough to get the gist of it. When Sarah hangs up she simply nods at Delphine before walking to the window, opening the drapes just enough to peek outside.

"We seem to have dodged them," the werewolf informs, closing back the drapes.

"Yes, but for how long…" Delphine says under her breath, returning her attention to the feeble vampire, who has started to moan unintelligibly. "She needs blood," she then says, her eyes on Cosima, placing a hand on a sweaty forehead as if it could provide any sort of relief.

"Don't look at me," Sarah raises her hands quickly and gives one step back. "My blood is no good to her."

"I didn't mean it like that," Delphine shakes her head. "I know you serve it in your fine establishment, maybe you could've someone bring it over."

"Or we could use yours!" Sarah suggests.

"She needs too much," Delphine says as if she truly considers that a reasonable solution. "I need to stay conscious if I am to look after her."

"Yeah, because you've been doing such a great job so far," Sarah scoffs.

"Could you just get it done!" Delphine's temper is turning sour, they don't have time for this kind of bullshit.

The werewolf is not exactly enjoying this forced coexistence either, but she knows Delphine is her best option at the moment to help Cosima. "Alison can do it," she replies. "She lives upstairs," Sarah aims a finger up. "I'm actually surprised she hasn't come down after all the commotion."

"Alison is chipped, they'll flag her," Delphine shakes her head. "You could always do it yourself, you know…"

"Yeah… like I'm gonna leave you alone with her," the werewolf says, her thumb rolling over the screen of the phone still in her hand. "I know who can do it."

"Do you really think I'd do her any harm after all this?" Delphine asks.

She doesn't get an answer though, since Sarah is already with the phone attached to her ear and turning her back on the human.

"I need you to get off your ass and do something other than shag and suck on rent boys," Sarah says over the phone without any sort of greetings. "Yeah? Well, I don't care if it's not a good time. Just get to the bar and bring two liters of the good stuff to Cosima's," she continues as she looks at Delphine again, asking for confirmation that she gets in the form of a head nod.

The doctor figures that in order for Cosima to be fully recovered it will take more, but for now that should be enough. Once Cosima feels better she should be able to procure more on her own. Delphine is also not sure if it's a good idea to give Cosima all the blood she can get in one sitting. All this situation is new to her and Delphine will have to improvise as she goes. She considers all this as Sarah ends the conversation, shrugging off all the questions that surely come from the other side.

"It shouldn't take long," Sarah informs her when she hangs up.

"Do you trust this person?" Delphine asks, looking around the dark room and finding a chair that she pushes closer to Cosima's bedside.

"I trust him more than I do you!" The werewolf's animosity hasn't relent, despite the situation.

Delphine is growing tired of it, but she won't spend her energy fighting with the other woman. She has to focus her attention on keeping Cosima as comfortable as possible until they find a solution. Besides, part of her understands Sarah's reluctance in trusting her, it even gives her some relief to know that there are people who care this much about Cosima. Other than the few interactions she had with the vampire, the doctor knows very little about her life or her friends. She didn't even know that two of her patients were neighbors. Everything concerning the subjects' personal lives is redacted, limited to the clinical aspect of their existences. If not for the necessary face-to-face consultations, these creatures wouldn't mean much more to her than numbers in a medical file. She knows, however that the path Cosima took probably isn't easy. Knows that more often than not, the vampires who've chosen to unroll in the program find themselves with very little or no support system at all. It can be a lonely road when one dismisses all that they've known for a very long time, or, in Cosima's case, for centuries.

"I didn't know the treatment would do this to her if she stopped," Delphine offers as a gesture of good faith. "As soon as I knew, I told her."

"And she stopped going," Sarah concludes.

The human nods and returns her eyes to Cosima, her fingers lightly brushing off a dreadlock from the vampire's forehead. "Perhaps it would've been better if I hadn't said anything."

"Have you told any other of your patients? Alison?" Sarah asks, not as combative.

Delphine shakes her head. "No… I … I didn't want to cause alarm in the community," she justifies.

"But you told her…" Sarah says, approaching the bed. To that she doesn't get any sort of reply. "They do this intentionally?" She moves on.

Delphine nods. "It's designed to make them come back for more?"

"Well, that doesn't explain why Cosima wouldn't get some blood on her own when she was capable," the werewolf reasons.

"No, it doesn't," Delphine agrees thoughtfully.

Sarah's right. Cosima must've fallen ill rather quickly after missing the treatment for the first time, but the symptoms of abstinence are gradual, as far as Delphine could gather from the reports she had access to. There must've been a time when Cosima was aware of her condition but strong enough to get out and try to find a solution to her problem. The more Delphine thinks about it, the less sense it makes. If blood was in fact the solution what would compel the vampires who abandon treatment to return to DYAD and not disappear without a trace. Surely search for another source of blood should be a priority.

"What if blood is not the solution?" Sarah gives voice to Delphine's thoughts after several minutes of silence.

There's a tremor in the doctor's heart. If another sort of solution is required, what is it and how can they find out which is the right direction? The only thing Delphine can think about is getting Cosima back on the treatment but, even if Delphine was able to get it - which doesn't seem likely with DYAD on her heels, she doubts Cosima would approve. The vampire might not be in condition to reject it, but Delphine refuses to, once more, put Cosima through a treatment without her consent.

"Hey! Blondie!" Sarah recaptures her wandering attention.

"We don't know that," Delphine answers quietly, not yet fully out of her head. "We have to try it."

"Yeah, no shit! But what if it doesn't work? You can fix it, right?" The werewolf pushes.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Delphine admits. "I've read some reports, I know the symptoms and what causes them, but, physiologically, I don't know what's wrong with her body… it seems like her immune system is shutting down, I just don't…"

"Yeah, yeah… you can't fix it!" Sarah interrupts rudely, losing her patience.

"I didn't say that!" The doctor counters.

The phone in Sarah's hand hips announcing a new message. "I guess we're about to find out," the werewolf says, reading the text at the same time, walking out of the room.

Delphine watches her cross to the front door and open it, standing on the threshold as she waits for whoever is bringing the blood. Next to her, she hears Cosima moan again as she shifts on the bed. She's becoming restless, her eyes fluttering open to look at the human with an unfocused gaze. The vampire tries to talk, her lips move, but no sound comes out.

"It'll be okay," Delphine hushes gently, one of her hands going back to the vampire's forehead while the other she uses to keep Cosima in bed as she attempts to get up. "Help's on the way."


	16. Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to my beta and Spooky CJ for their invaluable help.

Cosima continues to hear voices, muffled and distant, but she's able to identify whom they belong to. The two women speak softly but tensely for a moment, with Sarah occasionally raising her voice, but she's unable to discern any words. She tries to open her eyes, to force her body to move, but her limbs seem beyond heavy, and her sight is still too fuzzy. She sees only a dim silhouette that paces back and forth, while another form has taken a seat by her bed. A halo of blonde curls leans closer as Delphine speaks softly, placing one hand on her forehead, and another on her shoulder in a completely unnecessary move to to keep her from getting up.

The vampire forces her body to relax, trying desperately to ease the pain, focusing her attention on the soothing touch moving along her jawline. It works for a moment, delicate fingers feel pleasantly warm smoothing along her face, and Cosima sighs at the temporary comfort it gives her.

In the distance she hears voices talking quickly, but the doctor remains by her side, her touch tender, undisturbed by the noise coming from the other room. Cosima knows that she should try to pay attention to what's going on around her, try to decipher what's being said, but she feels too weak. Eventually the vampire starts to drift away, not completely unconscious, but her mind loses focus, her eyelids unbearably heavy.

* * *

 

In the small living room, Sarah's attention is divided between the two people standing before her, and the two behind her. Delphine hasn't moved from Cosima's side, and continues to tend to the vampire's declining health. Something tells her that it's more than a doctor's concern gripping the human's actions, but she doesn't have time to worry about that now.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Sarah whispers angrily, pointing an accusing finger at the nervous woman at Felix's side. "This was not an invitation to a blood drinking feast, you know?"

"She was with me when you called, and you said it couldn't wait," Felix explains. "I couldn't very well leave her and come running."

"What's going on?" Alison asks, trying to see pass the werewolf's body that's obstructing her view. "Is Cosima okay?"

"No, she's not okay!" Sarah answers dismissively, only briefly looking at her before addressing Felix. "What were you doing with her? As far as I'm aware, Alison was never part of your coven."

"We're working on something together…with Cosima." Felix says. "But she hasn't really been available and this time it couldn't wait."

"She hasn't been available and you didn't think of checking on her?!" Sarah vents incredulous, her frustration finally finding a target.

"We tried, but Cosima can be very persuasive…you know how stubborn she gets," Felix says with a shrug, but he's growing more worried, his eyes, a weak blue from an early meal, landing on the open door that leads to his former mentor's bedroom. "What the hell is going on? Is that the DYAD doctor? What is she doing here?"

Sarah looks over her shoulder again, observing Delphine gingerly tucking the covers around Cosima and, probably after hearing the man mention her, getting up and exiting the bedroom, closing the door until only a small gap remains.

"Are you sure she should be sleeping?" Sarah asks in a low voice when the blonde is close enough.

"I don't think she's asleep," Delphine answers, her eyes quickly darting to the door she just walked out of and lingering. "But she needs to rest. It's the best way for her to get some of her strength back…at least until we give her some blood."

"What's wrong with her?" Alison asks, her concern peaking after noticing the doctor's presence.

Delphine looks at Alison with a raised brow, unsure of what to say and, in a way, waiting for some help from the werewolf. She's not sure if it's in Alison's best interest to know the truth. Not because she's afraid the young vampire is going to reveal the secret of the treatment to the world, but because the human fears her reaction. Alison strikes her as a less cerebral person than Cosima, and she's uncertain how well she's going to take the news. Besides, if Alison decides to take a similar path and stop going to DYAD to get her regular shots, she'll start showing the same symptoms as Cosima, and the sickness is likely to advance more rapidly due to her young age and less resistant immune system.

"Cosima has developed an allergic reaction to the treatment," Delphine improvises when Sarah offers no help. "We need to take her off the program."

"You can say that again…" Sarah mumbles next to her, at which the human glares at her but says nothing.

"Is she going to be okay?" Alison asks in a small voice, a glimpse of suspicion in her stare.

"We don't know yet," Delphine responds as honestly as she can, in a softly manner so not to alarm the other vampire. "We're going to try our best. But, for now, it's best if you go home. We'll call you if we need you."

Saying this, Delphine gently takes Alison's arm in her hand and starts to guide her to the front door. Alison doesn't really fight it but she walks slowly, looking back at Cosima's bedroom with a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You'll call me, right?" It sounds like a pleading. "Anything you need, you call me."

"We will," Delphine assures her gently.

The human closes the door and sighs deeply, worry weighing heavily on her chest.

"An allergic reaction?" Sarah scoffs behind her back.

"I couldn't tell her the truth, could I?" Delphine answers, turning around and gesturing vividly with her hands. "What if Alison decides to do the same?"

"She should know the truth!" Sarah counters. "She has the right to know what  _your people_ are doing to her body!"

"Yes, but we should find a way to fix it first," the doctor says, fighting the impulse to raise her voice, mindful of Cosima's condition.

Felix, who until now has been listening quietly, clears his throat, drawing the attention of both women to him. There's a moment of silence while he looks first at the werewolf and then at the human, next he stares at the bag with the two bottles that he has brought at Sarah's request.

"Cosima has stopped the treatment," he says as if he has just realized it. "There isn't any allergic reaction, is there? She did it voluntarily," he continues and his eyes flow again between the two women, who remain quiet. "She's going through the withdrawal symptoms. She's slowly dying."

Delphine and Sarah look at him with some astonishment, but it's the werewolf who gives one step in his direction.

"What do you know about it?" She asks in a tone that means business.

"She's not the first to…have second thoughts about the wonders of DYAD's program," Felix says, walking away from Sarah, scrunching his nose at the unpleasant scent of a werewolf in stress. Still, he tries not to offend her, it's not Sarah's fault that their species are repulsed by one another. "I've seen it before," he says as he sets the bag on top of the coffee table in the middle of the room. "They change their minds, life as an half-human is not all that is cracked up to be, and they want to return, vampires who have left the program and want to get back into the good graces of our community. The problem is that DYAD has a different plan.

"If they aren't tracked down and captured by DYAD then the alternative is much worse…" his voice trails off as he realizes just how bad the situation is for Cosima. "How come they haven't come for her?" He then asks, looking at Delphine. "She still has the chip, right?"

Sarah eyes Delphine with a dangerous glare, the doctor knows that if the werewolf didn't think she needed Delphine, she would no longer be safe under the same roof.

"I didn't want to remove it while she's in such weak condition," Delphine answers the vampire, but her attention is on the werewolf's every movement. "I didn't want to risk her losing any blood, no matter how small a quantity."

"It's good that you didn't," Felix nods. "The chip is designed to release a deadly toxin if not previously deactivated."

"Ain't that fucking great? This just keeps getting better and better!" Sarah's voice rises and she throws her arms up, exasperated. "Could you give us some fucking good news, please!"

Felix takes a seat on the couch, suddenly feeling extremely tired. "Blood isn't going to help either," he then says in a defeated tone, blankly staring at the bag in front of him.

"What does that mean?" This time not even Delphine can keep her voice down.

"I can't really explain it…scientifically, that is…" the vampire answers. "That was the first thing we tried when people came to us asking for help after leaving the program. They couldn't…the body would reject any type of blood. If they tried to drink it, the old fashion way, barely two swallows in and it's coming up, and when we tried blood transfusion they'd bleed to death…" his eyes lose focus, his voice breaks at the memory and he swallows thickly. "Out of the nose, the ears, the eyes…as they kept screaming in agony… gruesome stuff, right out of an horror movie."

Hearing this, Delphine feels her knees go weak, the nausea growing in the pit of her stomach brings bile to her throat. It couldn't happen. Cosima couldn't be wasting away because of something she'd done, even unknowingly. She knew DYAD was nefarious, but this… DYAD's atrocities were always something abstract to her, something she knew existed, but so far in the back of her mind that she could ignore. She was complacent with their methods because she never thought it would affect her personally, she was not one of them, she was safe. And now, it was affecting someone she cares for, for reasons she can't explain; now that'll cause Cosima's death; now that is too late… now she wishes she had acted differently, that she hadn't let her personal quest overcome her basic human decency.

"There's got to be a way…" Delphine mumbles to herself. "Cosima can't die."

"Shay," Felix cuts through the eerie silence that's has settled.

"What about that bitch?" Sarah says, but even she has lost her edge, her harsh words come out faint.

"She has a guy… someone who knows how to treat Cosima," Felix answers with his eyes on the floor. "We have had a couple of runways joining us, health fully restored after only a couple weeks."

"Can you get this person?" Delphine asks, allowing an hint of hope to rise in her chest.

But Felix shakes his head, still not looking up. "No…" he whispers. "He's too valuable for her to share him with anyone."

"I doubt Shay'll help Cosima after she left her," Sarah says.

Only then does Delphine connects the dots. She remembers the attack and, yes, Cosima did call her by that name, the woman Cosima left, the woman who created her. Delphine still remembers how much hate she saw in an impossible cold stare, the icy blue eyes still hunt her dreams. Delphine would give anything not to see that vile creature again… anything but Cosima's life.

"We have to try!" She doesn't hesitate.

"She's going to want something in return," Felix says, finally raising his head to meet Delphine's eyes. "Shay's not exactly known to be a generous soul."

"It doesn't matter," Delphine's resolve doesn't move an inch. "Just get her here."

Felix chuckles humorlessly. "She won't come here," he says. "We need to get to her."

"Not in Cosima's condition, we don't!" The werewolf intervenes, stepping again closer to the vampire, her eyes shine brightly, gaining a deep amber colour.

"You think threatening me is going to help you?" Felix keeps his calm, crossing his legs but leaning back, putting as much distance between the two of them as possible.

Delphine watches with annoyance the two supernatural creatures sizing each other up. They don't have time for this, not while Cosima is running out of time in the next room.

"None of this is helpful!" The human raises her voice and both of them look at her. "If this Shay is our only option, then we need her, we are in her hands," she continues in a calmer way. "But Sarah's right: Cosima isn't going anywhere until we stabilizer her." She pauses for a moment to think and then stares in the male vampire's eyes. "Call her, tell her what's going on. If Shay cares enough about Cosima to track me down and attack me to get her attention, then she shouldn't have a problem coming over when Cosima is dying."

"Caring is not exactly the way I would describe it," Felix comments, but at least he's reaching for his phone in his back pocket. "Obsessed is more accurate."

"Regardless," Delphine says dismissively, "the result is the same."

"You may be opening a door you can't close, dear doctor," the vampire gives her one last chance to change her mind.

Delphine glares coldly at him and motions with her chin for him to make the call without saying another word.

"Very well," Felix breathes out and presses his thumb on the phone's screen.

He then gets up from the couch and opens the sliding door that leads to a small balcony, closing it. He speaks in low tones to whomever picks up the call and the two women can do nothing but wait.

Delphine takes the opportunity to check on Cosima. The vampire appears to be sleeping, but when the doctor brings a hand to her forehead Cosima mumbles something and stirs at the touch. Delphine frowns. Cosima feels too cold, her small body is shivering uncontrollably under the covers, but beads of sweat have broken out across her face and hairline.

"How is she?" Sarah asks in a small voice, leaning against the doorframe and crossing her arms over her chest.

Delphine only looks at her and shakes her head, lips pressed together in a thin line, a deep frown creasing her eyebrows.

"I didn't know werewolves could control their shifts like that," the human comments, more to keep her mind occupied than out of curiosity.

"No?" Sarah asks in a sarcastic voice. "I thought DYAD knew everything there is to know about us."

Delphine shakes her head again. "Two entirely different departments, completely independent from each other," she explains, not taking Sarah's accusation personally. "Those who work with vampires, like myself, don't have access to any information relating to your kind."

Sarah hums and eases up a little bit. "Yeah, sure, it's possible," she says, responding to Delphine's original question. "Not when we're young… that's a fucking mess, but you can train yourself to show a little fang now and then, much like our friends there," she finishes aiming a hand at the vampire laid on the bed.

"Were you… born that way?" Delphine asks, sensing the other woman more open.

"No, I was turned when I was sixteen," Sarah answers, her back relaxing against the wooden door frame, sliding down a little bit. "Siobhan took me in and helped me even when I didn't want, or think I needed it." The werewolf releases a throaty chuckle. "Now…  _she_  was born a werewolf."

"As was your child…" Delphine says distractedly, adjusting the covers around Cosima, who seems to have calmed down again.

On the other hand, the werewolf's body tenses immediately, she straightens her back, curls her fists tightly and emits a low snarl. "You leave my kid out of this!" The voice is low, but the threat is glaring.

Realizing her indiscretion, Delphine hurries to fix it. "I didn't mean anything by it, it was just an observation… I noticed the toys back in your place."

"Yeah? Well, you keep your observations to yourself if you don't want them to be the last!" Saying this, the werewolf leaves quickly.

"Merde…" Delphine whispers, threading her fingers through her hair and making a mental note to mind her words next time.

She doesn't dwell on her misstep, but resolves to approach the werewolf later...when things have slowed down. Still, she takes a little longer before leaving the bedroom, giving time for the werewolf to lose some steam.

When she returns to the living room, she notices Felix storing the blood in the fridge and Sarah's on the balcony, looking out the street.

"She'll come," Felix informs her.

Delphine takes her eyes off the werewolf and looks at him. "Good…" she says in a low voice.

"I think you'd better leave," he then says, returning his position on the couch. "I don't think Shay's gonna be happy to see you here."

"I don't care about her happiness," Delphine answers with a shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, she'll know I was here, she'll be able to smell me, right?"

Felix returns the shrug. "It's your life…"

There's nothing left to do but wait. Delphine contemplates the possibility of returning to Cosima's side, but the vampire appeared to be more restless in her presence, attempting to move or speak. Thinking it's best to leave Cosima to save her strengths, the doctor decides to stay put. She's fidgeting with her hands, impatiently pacing around the carpeted floor, threading her fingers through her curls before she catches herself and brings her hands down, cracking her knuckles. Eventually she takes a seat on the couch, as far away as she can from the vampire whose eyes keep following her.

"Thank God, woman…" Felix breaths out, maintaining his position.

There's a thick, awkward silence. Delphine distracts herself by listening for any sort of sound coming from Cosima's bedroom, but all is quiet. Sarah remains on the balcony, but the doctor is certain she's aware of everything happening inside the house. Minutes stretch for far too long, Delphine's counting them in her head when she's not staring at her wristwatch.

Finally Sarah comes back inside, the door sliding open allowing cold air to enter before it's shut. In a instant, Delphine is on her feet, reading the other woman's angry expression, she knows what's coming.

"They're here," the werewolf announces, getting to the door and buzzing them inside before they ring the bell.

Shay's the first to step into the house, entering with her head held high, her spine straight, her shoulders squared, giving the illusion that she's taller than her short stature. Only when a lanky young man follows her inside and stands behind her does her real height comes into perspective. But it doesn't make her appear any less threatening, with her bright eyes disdainfully scanning the small room, landing on each occupant for a few seconds before it's moving on.

Shay's straight blonde hair is pushed back in a high braid, unblocking her pale, marble smooth complexion and revealing a self-satisfied smirk that exposes her pointy canines.

"I didn't know Cosima had gotten a pet dog," Shay comments in a cold voice as her eyes return to Sarah and then slowly, deliberately move to Delphine. "Then again… she's not exactly keeping the best company of late."

The idea of answering to the provocation doesn't even cross Delphine's mind. As much as she wants to, the notion that Cosima's life depends solely on Shay's inclination holds her tongue. And it appears the same thing is on Sarah's mind, who, despite a low growl as a small display of her instinctive aggressiveness, is on her best behavior.

"Well… where is she?" Shay asks, clasping her hands and looking slightly disappointed by the other people's silence.

"Inside," Felix answers, pointing towards Cosima's bedroom. "Is he the one who's going to fix her?" He asks, looking dubiously to the young man.

"Mr. Scott Smith is here just to make sure Cosima's stable enough to come home with us," Shay says, a delicate hand landing on the man's biceps. "He'll also be removing Cosima's chip so those friends of yours, waiting outside, won't follow us." She says this turning her head to Delphine.

The doctor tilts her head, confused by what she's hearing. A side glance in Sarah's direction shows the same confusion. Delphine continues without saying anything, but walks calmly to the small area that serves as a kitchen, Sarah right behind her, and both of them peer outside when the doctor moves the curtain just enough so they can see the street bellow.

"They're in the back!" Shay informs them from the other room. "And don't worry, my people will take care of them," there's a small laugh. "They still haven't eaten anything today anyway, so this is extremely convenient."

Werewolf and human look at each other, with matching puzzled expressions.

"They must've followed Alison from the bar," Delphine reasons in a low voice as Sarah nods. "If she was with Felix when he went there, DYAD would've gotten an alert from her change of routines."

"It's interesting that they always knew where Cosima was and never bothered to pick her up," Shay continues as the two women return to the living room. "Makes you wonder what were they waiting for…" she says as she smiles at Delphine with piercing eyes.

Delphine clenches her jaw and takes a deep breath, holding the vampire's gaze just long enough to show she's not feeling intimidated. Instead of responding to Shay, the human turns her attention to the young man, who hovers close to the small blonde. He nervously looks everywhere without making eye contact with anyone, his broad shoulders slumped, and his head down, trying to attract as little attention as possible. The small brown leather bag he carries shifts from one hand to the other as he balances the weight of his body, clearly feeling uncomfortable in the midst of all these creatures. He's human, Delphine notices and wonders how he's come to be here, working for someone like Shay.

"She's very weak," Delphine states, getting closer to him, trying to somehow gain his trust, show him that she not the enemy. "Are you sure it's safe to remove the chip?"

He looks a little surprised that someone has bother to talk to him, let alone ask his opinion, and still he looks at Shay, seeking her approval. "We'll give her the first dose of the antidote before we conduct the procedure. She'll be able to feed then," Scott only answers after the vampire gives him an eye roll and a twist of her right wrist, as if she getting bored of this. "That should be enough not only to safely remove the chip, but also to make the journey back to the mansion comfortable."

"Then you don't need to take Cosima with you to administer the cure," Delphine's voice gains force, determination makes her brazen enough to give Shay an hard look. "She'll stay here!"

Shay seems amused by Delphine's small display of strength and approaches the human with a few slow steps. The vampire looks up but she's no less dominant despite the height difference between the two women, the cruel smile on her lips, the fangs growing in length leaving no illusion as to who is in command of the situation. Her smirk causes a freezing chill to roll down Delphine's spine, the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The fear she feels takes corporeal form, seizing her arms and legs, keeping her from answering the instinctual call to step back. Her heart beats erratically, and the air that fills her lung is heavy and viscous.

"Not only will she come with me, good doctor, Cosima's also staying there," Shay asserts in a cold voice. "I won't have a member of my family living in a rathole."

"Oi… Didn't Cosima dump your ass?" Either Sarah's not fully aware of the danger of the situation or she has the privilege not to care. "She got tired of your shit and told you to go nibble on someone else."

The vampire hisses as the glint of amusement melts away and hardens; just a small demonstration of the viciousness she's capable of seems to reflect on the deep blue of her eyes. And then, as if it was just a dark shadow that crossed her soul, the smile is back on her lips.

"Then I guess Cosima has a choice to make," Shay says, the satisfied smirk growing, her eyes pinned on the human. "She can either rejoin our family and live, or she can stay here, with you, and die."


	17. Sixteenth

The smile appears in Cosima's mind, devious and cold, just as she remembers when her sire had sinister intentions. Cosima had never liked it, not even in the beginning when she was still fascinated with the new world that had opened up before her, with Shay holding the door and encouraging her in. Maybe it's just reflex from the time when that smile was new to her, as part of her humanity was stripped away, but her brain forever associates the enigmatic grin with that singular moment in her life.

For many years, decades really, Cosima felt a shiver run down her spine at the sight of that distinct curl of lips, but it was something that she didn't allow affect her for too long, shrugging it off and moving on. It was an eternal conflict: to be thankful for the new and prosperous life she was given or mourn the person she could've been had she never crossed paths with Shay. In the end, she opted for the practical approach, accepting that mourning an alternative reality was a waste of time.

She has been to places her human self didn't even know existed, experienced civilization's evolution in a way her human self could never have imagined. She has seen revolutions born, gain momentum, and die, all in the expanse of half a century. In Paris, where they settled shortly after her transformation, Cosima was witness to the rise and fall of the precursors of the movement that would ultimately take their lives. At the same time, news came from the New World of the colonies taking up arms against their masters, tired of living under subjugation of a king an ocean away, claiming their independence.

That was the first time Cosima set foot in America. The newly formed country was still in shambles after the war with Imperial Britain, hardly an appropriate place to make a new home, but Shay was tired of France and the never ending conflict. From the ashes of the Revolution a new kind of imperialism was born, and Shay became bored of the constant threat of Napoleon's war at the doorstep of every country in Europe. The United States seemed like a good destination, a way to leave it all behind.

At the time, they settled in Richmond, one of the most prosperous old colonies, vibrant and almost urban. The new country was starving for new ideas, thirsty for evolutionary paths away from the competition. They were poised to prove that they represented the future, while the old continent - and especially their old colonizers - where the past.

Virginia was the perfect blueprint of a country filled with contradictions. For decades the dichotomy between the rush towards industry, and old values had worked. The State was at the frontier of a fractured nation, somehow able to juggle the two realities residing within its borders. There, Cosima and Shay, and the rest of their peculiar family lived quietly. The city was small by European standards, but the James River harbor provided a steady supply of nameless strangers who never returned to their ships.

When rumors of civil war began, Shay was displeased. She had seen it before and was not excited about experiencing it again. Still, they tried to stay, Shay liked the city very much, it had a European charm, but, unlike the big European capitals, eternally immutable, it was not resistant to change. Not until Virginia declared for the Confederate flag did she decided to abandon the new country. It was not a political statement, nor of principle. For the most part, Shay didn't support either side. It was a human conflict to be resolved amongst themselves. No, the decision to leave was motivated by the knowledge that it would only be a matter of time before the war reached them.

From there they went to London. When she arrived Cosima couldn't hide her disappointment. After hearing so much about it, she was expecting something more than buildings on top of each other under a constantly gray sky, either from the weather or the dark clouds of smoke pouring from factory chimneys day and night. The streets were narrow, and the smell of piss pervaded. Only when they left the workers' districts, and headed into the richest areas of the city, could they escape the stench.

And that's where they settled, in a large, centuries' old mansion in the Chelsea district. They were surrounded by the elite and, to Cosima's surprise, were received with open arms as one of their own. A week didn't go by without an invitation to a party or a soirée among friends. There was never a hint of suspicion about the origin of the new arrivals or their obvious wealth without an obvious source. London's best probably assumed they either came from old money, or lived of the backs of the less fortunate. It didn't really matter, and the locals were much too polite to ask; they were simply embraced as one of their own.

Shay thrived. Most nights, when she was present, she was the center of attention. On several occasions, they woke up the next evening with a flushed courier knocking on their door, holding a letter from a secret admirer singing odes to Shay's mesmerizing blue eyes, ignoring the danger lurking in their depths.

Shay enjoyed it so much in fact, that she forbade anyone from hunting among her new friends, fearing it would attract attention to her and threaten her status. No, to feed, they would have to venture down to the middle class, the commerce districts always a good choice. However, the best hunting grounds were always the poorest neighborhoods. The fetid, narrow streets were a fertile feeding ground to find a quick meal and disappear into the night. For the most part, the bodies wouldn't be found until the next morning, with the whistle of the bobbies waking up the neighborhood at dawn after the attacker was long gone, settling in to sleep in a comfortable bed inside a large mansion, among the rich and privileged.

Change came with the great war and bombs dropped from the bleak sky by German blimps. Like many of the higher class, they sought refuge in the north. The green plains surrounded by dense forest could almost disguise the horrors lived in the trenches that scared the earth of a country Cosima once called home over a century ago, when another war painted Parisian streets in a sea of red.

When the war ended, Cosima left Shay's side for the first time. With her sire's permission, she traveled through Europe. Perhaps it was not the best time for such a trip. She visited France, and the places she used to wander on warm summer nights. It was impressive, to say the least. Parts of the country were still recovering from the devastating war, buildings had been reduced to mountains of rocks and yet, there was a generalized euphoria in the air. It only became more surreal when Cosima went back to her birth country. Austria had been on the wrong side of the equation, people starving in the streets, the steps of the great opera houses, once drenched with opulence, were home to countless beggars.

It left a great impression on Cosima. For the first time, she recognized that she'd been living in a bubble. To Shay, these were humanity's problems, the only thing they had in common was the world they shared. It was only then, two centuries after Cosima's transformation, that the distance between them truly grew. After the war, Shay was happy to return to their old life, but Cosima found the endless evenings of gossip terribly tedious. Unlike her sire, she had no interest in the attention men gave her, and she'd actively avoided it. Even the women held no interest for her, fickle and shallow with no true passion for life. She stopped joining Shay for the nights and started to go her own way.

While the city itself has lost most of its charm, the people in it had not. Outside the privileged neighborhoods, one could find a plethora of cultures, all mixed together. India, Pakistan, China, Ireland and England itself shared quarters, under the same roof, in a dingy tavern. Cosima sat in the shadows, and with an amused grin, she watched as brawls broke out nearly every night after one too many jars of cheap, warm beer.

London was changing. Not like America or France, but they were experiencing a revolution of their own. People were becoming more aware of their situation, the depletion of their economic status in favor of the undeserving higher classes. The word  _communism_  was whispered while nervous eyes glanced around. Workers' movements were growing, unions forming, and their demands for better conditions were finally reaching the front steps of parliament.

Cosima started to wonder if something similar to the Bolshevik Revolution would happen in the streets of London. But there wasn't time for it to go that far.

Hitler was marching over Europe, his army taking foreign territories, and Europe was in a devastating war for the second time in 25 years. The war that was supposed to end all wars had created a monster, thirsty for revenge from the humiliations suffered after its defeat.

This war, however, was different. There was the fetid smell of terror in the air, oppressive, smothering. Perhaps the advances in technology gave the notion that no one anywhere was safe, or maybe it was because the horrors of the first war were still fresh, imprinted on the memories of the people who had already experienced it and knew another generation would be lost.

This time they left. They packed their belongings, and once again, returned to America, settling in New York. The big city, flooded with immigrants arriving in droves, was the perfect place for them to disappear. They saw the city becoming the greatest melting pot on earth, become the center of the world. After two wars, the world was slowing down, a new world order emerging from those turbulent times, the United States at its center.

It was then that the Council of Elders was created, its purpose to tackle the new challenges that stood before the vampire community, and they pretended to achieve this by making sure all remains the same. With Shay's strong insistence, Cosima had joined the Council has her second in command.

The younger vampire dreaded those endless meetings, and it didn't take long before she was again growing distant from the family. From a society that lived by its own rules while, at the same time, ignoring the rest of the world, shut in on itself, clinging to a world that no longer existed.

She spent months, sometimes up to a year away. South America, North Africa and the Middle East were her favorite destinations, where she could drink of different cultures. Most of the time, she went alone, but occasionally, on shorter outings, Felix would join her.

He had been sired in London, in the period between the two wars. The vampire who transformed and brought him into the family, had found the young man in the streets, offering his services for a few coppers to pay for his next meal. Felix's story was not unlike her own, and perhaps that's why, when his sire found his end in one of the many scuffles with a pack of werewolves, Cosima embraced him almost as a brother.

Both of them were in Cairo when news came that they were to return immediately to the US. Their existence had been discovered and, despite the efforts of the Council, their world was changing again. At the same time, Shay, who had never been a big supporter of Cosima's constant travels, saw in this, the perfect opportunity to keep her close, under the guise of her own safety.

It had backfired. Instead of bringing them closer, it had the opposite effect. Cosima felt trapped, missing the freedom of coming and going whenever she pleased. When she heard about DYAD, and the treatment they were offering, Cosima was hesitant. Could she really leave the life she has lived so long? Shay was intransigent: to enroll in the program was to work with the enemy. It would mean cutting ties with the family, everyone she knew.

Nor was she fooled into thinking that once she was in the program, the humans would consider her one of theirs. She'd be an outsider in both the vampire and human world.

She was aware of the consequences, but in the end, suffocated by Shay's tight grip on the family structure, Cosima made her decision to leave.

Shay was livid. After all those centuries, she hadn't believed that Cosima had it in her to turn away from the community. When they first talked about it, Cosima's sire dismissed the conversation as another demonstration of the persistent defiance she'd always had: sure, Cosima could entertain the idea, but to actually go through with it was absolutely impossible. This is the only explanation for Shay's shock when Cosima had informed her of her decision. Even after Cosima began the treatment, and was ostracized from the family, Shay remained in denial, thinking her creation would regret her mistake, and return home, tail between her legs, begging for forgiveness and acceptance back into the family under Shay's protection.

This is why Shay smiles now, staring down at Cosima in a dismal state, wasting away in bed inside a rathole of an apartment. Shay feels vindicated. Cosima's insolence has cost her dearly, and now Shay, once again, has in her hands the power to decide Cosima's life - or death. Centuries have past and it's as if they're back inside that same palace, in the outskirts of Vienna, surrounded by ostentatious wealth with Shay holding Cosima's life in her hands, waiting for surrender.

As if sensing a presence, Cosima opens her eyes, her sight hazy and unfocused, her sire's silhouette a ghostly form. Her mind is playing tricks on her, and her only thought is of disappointment, that in the few moments she has left, her mind has brought up the image of this woman.

She's dying, she knows she is. Even if she was completely at odds with her own body and her declining health, the look she saw early in the human's face would assure Cosima of her dismal future. Delphine didn't do it intentionally, of course, it was not the doctor's intent to rob her of hope, but there was something in the hazel eyes, the unmistakable glimpse of pity, sorrow and guilt, all bunched up together to reveal Cosima's decline. And still, there was something in the woman's captivating stare… a hint of unyielding determination, a fierce resolve that had given Cosima a self-serving, and perhaps misplaced sense of hope. If there was something that could be done to save her life, Cosima was sure Delphine would stop at nothing to do it. Maybe it was the guilt the doctor carried with her. She had, after all, contributed to the vampire's condition, even if unwillingly or unknowingly.

Regardless of Delphine's motivations, there was no denying the spark of tenacity. Weirdly, it scared Cosima, but not in a conventional way. It didn't send a tendril of fear through her heart, but it did send a shiver of anticipation down her spine, her guts twisted with anxiety. In fact, this was a common occurrence with Delphine, and perhaps that's precisely why the vampire had been so enraptured by the human doctor from the beginning. There was a fire in her which drew Cosima closer, it tempted her to play with it, dared her to see how close she could get before it burned her.

Cosima has lived a long and fulfilled life, and yet she regrets running out of time before she could test how hot those flames can be.

To add salt to a wound,  _this_ is the vision she gets when she has to say goodbye to the world. It wasn't enough for her end to be filled with unbearable pain, her last weeks trapped in a bed, she also has to face her sire's expression of contempt paired with a satisfied grin.

Oddly enough, she was actually feeling slightly better, able to rest a little while some of her strength had returned after the effort it took to get to the door. Cosima groans, closes her eyes and pulls the covers over her head, willing the vision to go away. She has so many ghosts to haunt her, why must she tolerate someone who's alive and kicking? There is no fairness in death.

"You've seen better days."

The voice reaches Cosima beneath the covers, smooth as silk, and she would recognize that voice anywhere, under any circumstance, but she wasn't expecting to hear it so clearly in her delirious condition.

"I'm sure I have," she replies to the ghost without moving, willing it to leave her to die in peace.

"I can help you," the voice comes again.

"I'm sure you can," Cosima mumbles back, snorting lightly at the ridiculous situation of arguing with a ghost of a living being. "You've never meet a problem that you couldn't fix."

"You have only to come back, return to the family, be by my side."

The voice is alluring now, tempting, bargaining, and it comes from inside Cosima's head as well as from her bedside. It's a nifty trick Shay used to play on her, as if in doing so, she could convince Cosima that her sire's thoughts were her own. Cosima laughs humorlessly, almost hysterically, surprised that even so weakened her mind still has the ability to produce such an illusion. Only when a hand lands softly on her shoulder does Cosima fully return to reality. As if a jolt of electric current has coursed through her body, Cosima finds herself suddenly very much awake. She snaps her head from under the covers and jerks away from the touch, her eyes no longer deceiving her. Shay's  _really_ inside her bedroom, standing tall by the bed, and staring down at her with a gaze that for most people would view as sympathetic. But, Cosima has known her for far too long to believe in any of Shay's many masks.

The younger vampire is slow to sit up, resting her back against the headboard and swallowing the grunt of pain, trying to hide just how weak she really is. Cosima holds her sire's stare with narrowed eyes and makes an effort to speak, but Shay raises a hand, silencing her.

"Choose your next words carefully, Cosima," Shay warns, the mocked gentleness all but gone from her expression. "They quite literally mean the difference between life and death. No one else can help you, not Felix or that dog you have guarding your door… and certainly not that  _human_ ," the last word muttered in utter contempt. "I alone hold the cure for you. If you agree to my terms, I'll give you your life back," she pauses for effect - Shay always had flair for the dramatic. "It is mine to begin with anyway. I created you. You belong by my side."

"You were always a sucker for empty speeches," Cosima responds recklessly.

Shay's eyes shine, anger sparkles in them. "Very well," she says coldly, turning around. "You've made your choice."

_What choice?_  Cosima wonders to herself, but she knows she can't allow Shay to leave the room. No matter how much Shay still wants her by her side, Cosima knows very well that her sire will have no scruples in letting her die just to teach her a lesson, and although it won't serve Cosima, it will set a precedent for anyone who follows in her footsteps. She doesn't want to concede defeat, admit that Shay's right, but she is. It's an undeniable truth that Cosima is out of options. If Delphine, Sarah, and especially Felix had decided to call Shay, then that has to be their last resort. Felix, in particular, knows how much she'd hate to be back in Shay's claws, with a life debt, no less.

"Wait!" Cosima calls in as strong a voice as she can muster. "How can you fix it?"

Her sire smiles again, that self-satisfied grin of hers, fangs fully in view, Cosima can almost see her lick her lips. Shay knows she has Cosima where she wants her. "A cure. I have it!" Shay indulges her rebel creation's curiosity, she knows Cosima has an inquisitive mind, it won't hurt to give her some answers, if it serves her purpose, of course. "It takes a few doses. We'll give you the first here so you can feed properly and remove the chip. Then we'll transport you back to the mansion."

"I want Delphine to do it," her voice is still weak, but she's able to convey her resolve nonetheless.

Shay's anger grows, it's clear that this was not what she was expecting to hear from Cosima's mouth. " _She_  is the reason why you're like this!" She nearly shouts.

"You want me back?" Cosima challenges, in a calm, collected way. "Bring Delphine into the bedroom."

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in, my dear," her sire says, cold as ice, having regained some composure, her bright blue eyes shining intensely. "This isn't a negotiation! You have no leverage… unless…" she pauses, a thoughtful gaze on Cosima, analyzing, reading the other vampire's expression. "Are you afraid I've harmed your pet human?"

Cosima doesn't answer and just looks straight at her, using every ounce of strength she has left not to break eye contact and show any sign of vulnerability.

"Are you really willing to put your life on the line for  _her_? Do you really think she's worth it?" Shay taunts her.

"Bring her here," Cosima repeats, unfazed by Shay's provocation.

"Alright," Shay concedes with a mocking smile, almost amused by the whole thing. "I'll let you two play doctor one last time."

She laughs at her own joke and turns around to leave, shaking her head.


End file.
